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THE LIFE 



REV. JOHN WESLEY, A. M. 



ABRIDGED FROM 



AUTHENTIC SOURCES. 



REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. 

% _ 

I * 

* BY REV. Wr H.NORR1S. 



JfatD^Uork : 



PUBLISHED BY LANE <fc SCOTT, 

FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION OP THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH, 200 MULBERRY-STREET. 

JOSEPH LONGKINO, PRINTER. 
1850. 






{'DREW THFOWfilQAl i 



•- - wiriinni i» >r n*tomi* *«*m*m 



THE LIFE 



OF 



THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, A. M. 



CHAPTER I. 

Mr. Wesley's birth — Escape from death by fire — His 
education and ordination — Is nicknamed a Methodist 
at college — His benevolent efforts for the sick, poor, 
and prisoners — Opposition — Proposes some queries to 
his opponents — His religious state — Last meeting of 
his father's family. 

The Rev. John Wesley was born at Ep- 
worth, in Lincolnshire, England, on the 17th 
of June, 1703, O. S. His father, grandfather, 
and great grandfather were ministers, as also 
were his brothers, Samuel and Charles. When 
about six years of age, the providence of God 
preserved him from a most dreadful death. At 
this time his father's house was burned about 
midnight. It was supposed to have been set 
on fire by some wicked people who were offend- 
ed with his plain preaching. For some time it 
was thought that John must perish in the flames. 
His father heard him cry, but could not help 
him, as he was in the second story of the house : 
but giving him up for lost, he kneeled down 
and commended his soul to God. 

The little boy was waked by the fire, and 
seeing the chamber and bed on fire was fright- 
ened. No one coming to his assistance he 
climbed up to the window: some men in the 
garden now saw him ; and one man standing 



6 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

on another's shoulders reached him and took 
him out of the window just as the roof fell in ! 
When he was carried into the house his father 
cried out, " Come, neighbours, let us kneel down 
and give thanks to God ! He has given me all 
my eight children ; let the house go, I am rich 
enough!" Parents love their children much 
more than they love houses, or lands. 

Mrs. Wesley, John's mother, was a very re- 
markable woman. She feared God, and endea- 
voured to train up her children in the way in 
which they should go ; and felt deeply interested 
that they might obtain both useful knowledge, 
and right notions of religion. She taught them 
to obey their parents, to pray night and morn- 
ing, to ask a blessing on their food, to keep the 
Sabbath day holy, and never to quarrel with 
each other ; and so much did they love each 
other, that they were called the most loving 
family in Lincolnshire. 

When John was eleven years old he was sent 
to the Charter-House school, where he soon be- 
came distinguished for his diligence and pro- 
gress in learning. At seventeen he entered 
college, and during the year began to think of 
entering the ministry. In reflecting on the 
importance of the office, together with its re- 
sponsibilities and its consequences to himself 
and others, it appeared of the greatest magni- 
tude to him, and made a deep impression on his 
mind. But having asked and received the ad- 
vice of his parents, he resolved to devote him- 
self wholly to the service of God. He was 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 7 

ordained at the age of twenty-two. He remain- 
ed at the university several years after he gra- 
duated, discharging the various duties attached 
to the stations he rilled. 

During this period, by his advice and influ- 
ence, his brother Charles, and two or three 
other young gentlemen, students, were induced 
to meet together occasionally to assist and en- 
courage each other in their studies. They 
adopted a set of rules, and divided their time 
and studies accordingly. At this time the ex- 
act regularity of their lives, as well as of their 
studies, obtained for them the appellation of 
Methodists. This name was given them in 
allusion to an ancient sect of physicians, — so 
denominated from the exactness of the regimen 
which they prescribed. These meetings event- 
ually assumed a religious character ; and the 
little company increasing, embraced, among 
others, Mr. Hervey, the author of the Medita- 
tions ; and Mr. Whitefield, the celebrated 
preacher. 

Their strict and exemplary conduct, and 
great zeal in doing good, awakened much op- 
position, and occasioned some violent measures 
against a member of the holy club, as this asso- 
ciation was now termed. They began to visit 
the prisoners in the jail and castle, and to con- 
verse with them ; and being desirous to promote 
their salvation, they resolved to visit them 
weekly. They also commenced visiting the 
sick poor, and resolved to spend two or three 
hours in the week in this species of charity, 



8 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

should there be no objection from the minister 
of the parish in which such persons lived. But 
as this practice was quite new, and had the 
appearance of irregularity, on which account 
it might give offence, Mr. Wesley did not choose 
to proceed any farther without advice. He 
accordingly wrote to his father, stating what 
he had done, and his design ; and asked his 
opinion of it, and his advice in reference to 
their future course. 

His father replied, " As to your designs and 
employments, what can I say less of them than 
that I highly approve them, and that I have 
the highest reason to bless God that he has 
given me two sons at Oxford to whom he has 
given grace and courage to turn the war against 
the world and the devil, which is the best way 
to conquer them. Go on, then, in God's name, 
and in the path to which your Saviour has di- 
rected you. Walk as prudently as you can, 
but not fearfully : and my heart and prayers 
are with you. Your first regular step is to 
consult with him who has the jurisdiction over 
the prisoners ; the next is to obtain the direc- 
tion and approbation of your bishop." 

The advice and instructions of Mr. Wesley's 
father confirmed them in their pious and bene- 
volent purposes, and animated them with zeal 
in their execution. Following it, Mr. Wesley 
consulted the chaplain of the bishop in whose 
diucess the university was situated, and obtain- 
ed his approbation. The bishop being consulted, 
was highly pleased with the undertaking. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 9 

The opposition however increased. But 
most of those who opposed and ridiculed them 
being persons of well-known characters, their 
opposition effected but little, until a gentleman 
of learning and esteemed for piety joined them, 
and told his nephew that "if he dared to go to 
the weekly communion any longer he would 
turn him out of doors." This argument had 
no success : the young gentleman communicated 
the next week. The pious uncle now became 
more violent, and shook him by the throat to 
convince him of his error ; but even this did not 
convince the young man, and he continued his 
usual practice. The uncle now tried a new 
plan, and by a soft and obliging manner melted 
down the young man's resolution of being so 
strictly religious; and from this time he fre- 
quently absented himself from the sacrament. 
This partial success gave the opposition new 
strength; it became more serious in conse- 
quence of the accession to its numbers of some 
persons of influence who took a decided stand 
against the Wesleys, and their associates. 

At this trying period the Messrs. Wesley 
wrote to their father, stating their situation, 
and asking farther advice. In reply, he asks, 
" What would you be ? Would you be angels ? 
I question whether a mortal can arrive at a 
greater degree of perfection than steadily to do 
good, and for that very reason patiently, and 
meekly, to suffer evil. My daily prayers are, 
that God would keep N you humble, and then I 
am sure if you continue to 'suffer for righteous- 



10 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

ness' sake,' the Spirit of glory and of God shall 
in some good measure rest upon you. And 
you cannot but feel such a satisfaction in your 
own minds as you would not part with for all 
the world. Be never weary of well doing. Be 
not high minded, but fear. The less you value 
yourselves for these unfashionable duties, the 
more will you be valued by God and man. I 
hear my son John has the honour of being 
styled the * Father of the Holy Club.' I had 
rather one of my sons should be so dignified 
and distinguished than to bear the title of His 
Holiness." The same letter advises them to 
great mildness toward their persecutors, to avoid 
a mean and sneaking behaviour, and to show 
an open and manly firmness, which is highly 
becoming in a mind conscious of doing right. 

Mr. Wesley, on the behalf of his associates, 
returned thanks to his excellent father for th6 
above judicious advice, and expressed their ap- 
probation of it. Having a favourable oppor- 
tunity, he determined on the performance of an 
act of kindness to one of his earliest enemies, 
hoping thereby to remove prejudice from his 
mind. We know not the result. 

Being encouraged by the letter just mention- 
ed, they continued to meet together as usual, 
and to confirm one another in their pious reso- 
lutions. They still received the Lord's Supper 
once a week, visited the prisoners and the sick 
poor; and that they might relieve their neces- 
sities, they abridged themselves of all the super- 
fluities of life, and of many of its conveniences. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 11 

They also improved every opportunity of 
awakening their friends to a sense of religion ; 
bat opposition continually increasing, they 
proposed to their friends and enemies a num- 
ber of questions, among which are the follow- 
ing :— 

Whether it does not concern all men of all 
conditions to imitate, as much as possible, 
Him who went about doing good ? 

Whether all Christians are not concerned 
in that command, "While we have time let 
us do good to all men ?" 

Whether we can be happy hereafter unless 
we have, according to our power, fed the 
hungry, clothed the naked, visited those that 
are sick and in prison, and made all those 
actions subservient to a higher end, the saving 
souls from death ? 

Whether we may not try to do good to our 
acquaintance. Particularly whether we may 
not try to convince them of the necessity of 
being Christians ? 

Whether, if we know any necessitous fami- 
ly, we may not give them a little food, or 
clothing, or medicine, as they may want ? 

Whether we may not contribute what little 
we are able toward having their children 
clothed, and taught ? 

Whether we may not try to do good to 
those who are in prison, giving to those who 
most need it a little money, or clothing, or 
medicine ? 

No person of religion or humanity could 



12 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

answer these questions in the negative ; but 
several persons, when they understood the 
design of these benevolent young men, became 
quarterly subscribers to their little stock of 
money for the relief of the prisoners, the sick, 
and the poor ; so that although ridicule in- 
creased fast upon them, they were the more 
confirmed that they were acting right, and 
were more determined to pursue their plan. 

In the beginning of the year 1731 a meet- 
ing was held by several seniors of the college 
to consult on the most speedy way of stopping 
the progress of enthusiasm. Mr. Wesley and 
his friends did not learn what was the result 
of this very pious consultation ; but it was 

soon publicly reported that " Dr. and the 

censors were going to blow up the godly 
club." This was now their common title, 
though they were sometimes dignified with 
that of the " enthusiasts," a very convenient 
term of reproach, and not unfrequently ap- 
plied in these days to persons zealously en- 
gaged in the cause of religion. 

During some of the first months of the 
succeeding year the Wesleys journeyed on 
foot to visit their parents, being resolved to 
save every penny they could to give to the 
poor. On their return they found the state 
of their little society rather discouraging ; yet 
notwithstanding their circumstances were very 
trying, they still pursued their design of doing 
as much good as possible : the same zeal and 
diligence were - still manifested. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 13 

When Mr. Wesley first commenced his re- 
ligious course of life, he was fully convinced 
that he did not possess that state of mind 
which the Gospel describes as the privilege of 
every true believer in Christ ; but he expected 
that the practice of every duty to the utmost 
of his power would lead him into this state, 
and give him peace and joy in God. This 
effect did not follow : he was often dull, lan- 
guid, and unaffected, in the use of the most 
solemn ordinances. This both distressed and 
perplexed him, so that he seemed at a loss 
which way to proceed to obtain the happiness 
and security he desired. The truth was, he 
was now bringing forth "fruits meet for re- 
pentance," and so far he was right. But he 
thought he had the faith of the Gospel ; in this 
he was deceived. He looked for righteous- 
ness, peace, and joy, without being justified. 
We shall see him convinced of this error, and 
bitterly lamenting the delusion. 

A letter he wrote to his mother at this time 
evidences great perplexity of mind, and a 
most ardent desire and pursuit of a saving 
knowledge of God, together with a willingness 
to sacrifice the dearest object in life to obtain 
the desired enjoyment. A few extracts follow. 

After speaking of some of the advantages 
he enjoyed, he asks, " What shall I do to 
make all these blessings effectual to gain from 
them that mind which was in Christ Jesus? 
Shall I break off the pursuit of all learning 
but what immediately tends to practice? I 



14 LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

once desired to make a fair show in language 
and philosophy — but it is past — there is a 
more excellent way, and if I cannot attain to 
any progress in the one, without throwing up 
all thoughts of the other, fare it well. You 
say you have renounced the world, and what 
have I been doing all this time ? What have 
I done ever since I was born ? Why, I have 
been plunging myself into it more and more. 
It is enough, ' Awake, thou that sleepest. 5 
Then I am to renounce the world, as well as 
you. That is the very thing I want to do — but 
how ? What is the shortest way ? In many things 
you have interceded for me and prevailed. 
Who knows but in this too you may be success- 
ful ? If you can spare me only that little part of 
Thursday evening which you formerly bestowed 
on me in another manner, I doubt not but it 
would be as useful now in correcting my 
heart, as it was then in forming my judgment." 

It should be here remarked that the Messrs. 
Wesley and all their associates were zealous 
members of the Church of England, sincere 
believers of her doctrines, and conscientiously 
attached to her worship and government. 

In 1732 Mr. Wesley visited and became 
personally acquainted with Mr. Law, the au- 
thor of the excellent book called, " A Serious 
Call to a Holy Life." He also became known 
to many pious and respectable persons in 
London, and heartily approved the design of 
those friends of mankind who associated toge- 
ther to carry on a plan for suppressing vice, 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 15 

and spreading religion and virtue among the 
people, and was admitted a member of the 
"Society for the Propagation of Christian 
Knowledge." In the course of the year he 
made a journey to Epworth, in order that the 
whole family might once more assemble toge- 
ther before their final separation by death. 
This meeting was no doubt very affecting : 
the aged father was becoming infirm, and the 
sons were going to reside at a distance from 
home, and it was not probable that they would 
ever see each other again in this world ! 



CHAPTER II. 

Mr. Wesley's serious illness — Death of his father 
— Embarks for Georgia as a missionary — Employment 
of his time — Colony of Georgia — Arrival in Savannah 
— Interview, and treaty with the Indians — Indian ora- 
tion — He meets with great opposition — Leaves Savan- 
nah, and reaches Charleston — Embarks for England 
— His estimate of his religious state . 

In September, 1734, Mr. Wesley com- 
menced the practice of reading as he travelled 
on horseback ; and this practice he continued 
nearly forty years, until his advanced age 
obliged him to travel in a carriage. His health 
had now become impaired by his frequent 
journeys on foot, as well as on horseback, 
his great and constant labours of preaching, 
writing, studying, and great abstemiousness. 
His strength was much reduced, and he had 
frequent attacks of spitting blood. On one 



16 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

occasion he had a return of it in such quantity 
as waked him out of sleep. The sudden and 
unexpected manner in which it occurred, to- 
gether with the solemnity of the night season, 
made eternity seem near. He cried to God, 
"O prepare me for thy coming, and come 
when thou wilt!" Taking the advice of. a 
physician, by proper care, and a prudent 
management of his daily exercise, he gradu- 
ally recovered his health. 

The whole strength of his mind was now 
bent to religious subjects, and he obtained 
clearer notions of religious experience. At 
this time, in consequence of the declining 
health of Mr. Wesley's father, the old gentle- 
man and his son Samuel used much influence 
with John to induce him to apply for the living 
of Epworth, in order to succeed his father 
upon his death. Mr. Wesley having maturely 
considered the matter, was determined, by 
several considerations, to remain at Oxford; 
believing that there he could be most devoted 
to God, and most useful to his fellow men. 
The subsequent events of his life proved him 
to be right. His father died in April, 1735, 
and the living of Epworth was disposed of in 
May, after which he considered himself as 
fully settled at Oxford. 

But now a new scene of action was pro- 
posed to him, of which he had previously no 
idea. The trustees of the new colony of 
Georgia were in great want of proper persons 
to send thither to preach the Gospel both to 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 17 

the colonists and to the Indians. They fixed 
on Mr. Wesley and some of his friends as the 
most suitable, on account of the regularity of 
their behaviour, their abstemious way of liv- 
ing, and their readiness to endure hardships. 
Being introduced to Mr. Oglethorpe, the go- 
vernor of the colony, they received from him 
a most pressing invitation to accept the pro- 
posal of the trustees. Without giving a posi- 
tive answer Mr. Wesley took time to advise 
with his friends. Several of these having 
given their opinion on it, he visited his mother 
and laid the matter before her. Her answer 
was characteristic. " Had I twenty sons, I 
should rejoice were they all so employed, 
though I should never see them more."— 
Mr. Wesley still hesitating, received a letter 
from his friend, Dr. Burton, one of the trus- 
tees, pressing him to a compliance. The 
doctor writes, " Your short conference with 
Mr. Oglethorpe has raised the hopes of many 
good persons that you and yours would join 
in an undertaking which cannot be better ex- 
ecuted than by such instruments. I cannot 
help again recommending the undertaking to 
your choice ; and the more so, since on in- 
quiry there appears such an unfitness in the 
generality of people. That state of ease, lux- 
ury, levity, and inadvertency, observable in 
most of the popular doctors, are disqualifica- 
tions in a Christian teacher, and would lead 
us to look for a different set of people." Mr. 
Wesley having consented to go to Georgia, a 
2 



18 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

few days after, Dr. Burton wrote him : " It 
was with no small pleasure I heard of your 
resolution. I am persuaded that an opportu- 
nity is offered of doing much good." 

Mr. Charles Wesley also consented to ac- 
company his brother in this new and untried 
path, which promised them nothing but what 
they most ardently desired — a more complete 
deliverance from the world. He was accord- 
ingly prepared for it by receiving ordina- 
tion. 

Mr. Wesley now prepared for his voyage to 
America, but was not suffered to depart without 
many remonstrances from some of his friends. 
One who did not believe in Divine revelation 
said to him, " What is this, sir ? Are you 
turned Quixotte too ? Will nothing serve you 
but to encounter wind mills?" He calmly 
replied, " Sir, if the Bible be not true, I am as 
very a fool and madman as you can conceive. 
But if it be of God, I am sober minded : for he 
has declared, < There is no man that has left 
house, or friends, or brethren, for the kingdom 
of God's sake, that shall not receive manifold 
more in the present time, and in the world to 
come everlasting life.' " 

October 14, 1735, Mr. Wesley, accompanied 
by his brother Charles, Mr. Ingham, and Mr. 
Delamotte, left London for Gravesend, in order 
to embark for Georgia. Two ships sailed in 
company, having on board about three hundred 
emigrants to the new colony. Mr. Wesley 
says, " Our end in leaving our native country 






LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY. 19 

was not to avoid want, God having given us 
plenty of temporal blessings, nor to gain riches, 
and honour, but singly this, to save souls, to 
live wholly to the glory of God." There were 
on board twenty-six Germans, members of the 
Moravian Church. Mr. Wesley was much 
struck with their Christian deportment, and 
commenced learning the German language in 
order to converse with them. He now began 
to preach extempore, which afterward became 
his constant practice. 

Believing that by the blessing of God self- 
denial might be helpful to them, Mr. Wesley 
and his associates confined themselves to ve- 
getable food during the voyage. The follow- 
ing is the manner in which they spent their 
time. They rose at four o'clock. From four 
to five in the morning they were engaged in 
private prayer. From five to six they studied 
the Scriptures. At seven they breakfasted. 
At eight were the public prayers. From nine 
to twelve they were engaged in study. At 
twelve they met and conversed upon their 
employments. About one they dined. The 
time from dinner till four was occupied in 
reading to the people, and in conversing with 
them. At four were evening prayers, when a 
portion of Scripture was expounded, or the 
children were catechized. From five to six 
was spent in private prayer. From six to 
seven they read in different cabins to various 
persons. From seven to eight the Germans 
had public service. At eight they all met 



20 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

together again to exhort and instruct one 
another. Between eight and nine they re- 
tired to rest. 

The time spent and the pains taken with 
the passengers were not lost. Some very 
ignorant persons were instructed, and many 
were deeply awakened. Although Mr. Wesley 
made great sacrifices, performed much labour 
with a sole reference to the glory of God and 
the salvation of souls ; and although he was 
instrumental in promoting the spiritual interests 
of others, it is certain that at this time he was 
very little acquainted with experimental reli- 
gion. He now became convinced of this from 
the fear of death, which with all his efforts he 
could not overcome ; and by the example of 
lively and victorious faith he saw in some of 
his fellow passengers, the Germans. He par- 
ticularly noticed their great seriousness, hu- 
mility, and meekness : but especially their 
faith in God. Once in the midst of their 
public service a sea broke over, split the main- 
sail, covered the ship, and poured down between 
decks as if the great deep had already swallow- 
ed them up. The English passengers screamed 
terribly. The Germans calmly sung on. On 
being asked afterward, " Was you not afraid V 9 
One of them answered, " I thank God, no." 
" But were not your women and children 
afraid ?" He mildly replied, " No, our women 
and children are not afraid to die." 

A circumstance occurred during this voyage 
which is not unworthy of notice. Mr. Wesley 



LIFE OF REV, JOHN WESLEY. 21 

hearing an unusual noise in the cabin of Gene- 
ral Oglethorpe, the governor of Georgia, and 
who had embarked in the same vessel, stepped 
in to inquire the cause ; on which the general 
immediately addressed him, " Mr. Wesley, you 
must excuse me ; I have met with a provocation 
too great for man to bear. You know the 
only wine I drink is Cyprus wine, as it agrees 
with me the best of any. I therefore provided 
myself with several dozens of it, and this villain 
Grimaldi (his Italian servant, who was present 
and almost dead with fear) has drunk nearly 
the whole of it. But I will be revenged. He 
shall be tied hand and foot, and carried to the 
man-of-war. (He alluded to a man-of-war 
which sailed with them.) The rascal should 
have taken care how he used me so, for I never 
forgive." " Then I hope, sir," said Mr. Wesley, 
looking calmly at him, "you never sin." The 
general was quite confounded at the reproof; 
and, after a pause, putting his hand in his 
pocket, he took out a bunch of keys, which 
he threw at Grimaldi, saying, " There, villain ! 
take my keys, and behave better in future." 

At this time the colony of Georgia had been 
founded only three years. The British go- 
vernment had encouraged it as a defence for 
the southern provinces against the Spaniards : 
but it had been projected by men of enlarged 
benevolence, as a means for providing for the 
poor of England. The first expedition con- 
sisted of a hundred and sixteen settlers. General 
James Oglethorpe, one of the trustees of the 



22 LIFE OF REV, JOHN WESLEY. 

colony, and an active, enterprising man, accom- 
panied them. 

The country belonged to the Creek Indians, 
They were computed to amount to about 
25,000 souls, war and disease having greatly 
reduced their numbers. Fifty chiefs and aged 
men from the eight tribes of the Creeks, were 
deputed to confer . with General Oglethorpe, 
and treat about an alliance. In the name of 
these confederated tribes, Weccachumpa, the 
Long Chief, informed the British adventurers 
what was the extent of country which they 
claimed. He acknowledged the superiority of 
the white men to the red ; he said, they were 
persuaded, that the great Power who dwelt in 
heaven and all around, had sent the English 
there for their good ; and therefore they were 
welcome to all the land which the Creeks did 
not use . themselves. 

Tomo-chachi, to whose tribe this part of the 
country belonged, then presented the general 
with a buffalo skin, adorned on the inside with 
the head and feathers of an eagle. The eagle, 
he said, signified speed, and the buffalo strength. 
Like the eagle, the English flew over the great 
waters to the uttermost parts of the earth ; 
and like the buffalo, they were so strong that 
nothing could withstand them. The feathers 
of the eagle, he said, were soft, and signified 
love ; the skin of the buffalo was warm, and signi- 
fied protection ; therefore he hoped the Eng- 
lish would love and protect the little family of 
the Creeks. The alliance was soon completed : 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 23 

and the general then presented to each of the 
micoes, or kings, a shirt, a laced coat, and a 
laced hat ; to each of their warriors a gun, 
with some smaller presents to their attendants. 
General Oglethorpe returned to England the 
following year, taking with him Tomo-chachi, 
his wife, son, and seven other Indians. They 
were presented to George II. at Kensington 
palace, where Tomo-chachi offered the king a 
calumet or token of peace, and addressed him 
in the following characteristic oration ; " This 
day I see the majesty of your face, the great- 
ness of your house, and the number of your 
people. I am come in my old days, though I 
cannot expect to see any advantage to myself: 
I am come for the good of the children of all 
the nations of the Upper and Lower Creeks, 
that they may be instructed in the knowledge 
of the English. These are feathers of the 
eagle, which is the swiftest of birds, and which 
flieth round our nations. These feathers in 
our land are a sign of peace, and have been 
carried from town to town there. We have 
brought them over, to leave with you, O great 
king, as a token of everlasting peace." 

Feb. 5, 1736, they came to anchor in Sa- 
vannah river. On the succeeding morning 
they landed on an uninhabited island, where 
they joined in prayer and offered thanks for 
their safe voyage. 

During this voyage Mr. Wesley closely 
observed the Germans on board, and gives 
the following account of their behaviour :— 



24 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

" They were always employed, always cheer- 
ful themselves, and in good humour with one 
another. They had put away all anger, and 
strife, and wrath, and clamour, and evil speak- 
ing. They walked worthy of their vocation, 
and adorned the Gospel of our Lord in all 
things." 

Sabbath, March 7, Mr. Wesley entered on 
the duties of his ministry at Savannah, by 
preaching on the thirteenth chapter of the first 
Epistle to the Corinthians. Although he took 
the pastoral charge of the people at Savannah, 
and after the departure of his brother for Eng- 
land he also took the charge of Frederica, yet 
he ever considered the introduction of the 
Gospel among the Indians as his primary ob- 
ject. Circumstances however occurred which 
it was thought rendered it imprudent to under- 
take a mission which he had greatly at heart. 
During the time that he waited for opportunity 
to enter into this desirable employment, he 
was fully occupied in his pastoral duties, and 
was incessantly engaged in promoting the 
salvation of his people. 

As a clergyman of the Church of England 
he felt himself bound in conscience to adhere 
in every respect to their canons. This course 
of proceeding, together with his diligence and 
faithfulness in the discharge of his various 
duties, awakened a most virulent persecution 
against him ; and to gratify their malice, and 
injure his character, his enemies instituted vio- 
lent and illegal proceedings against him. In 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEV. 25 

the mean time the board of trustees in England, 
by Dr. Burton, assured him of their high es- 
teem of his services, and their approbation of 
his conduct. From several gentlemen of high 
standing he also received letters of encourage- 
ment and consolation. 

In the midst of this storm, kept up by the 
arts of his enemies, without a shilling in his 
pocket, and three thousand miles from home, 
Mr. Wesley possessed his soul in peace, and 
pursued his labours with the same unremitting 
diligence that he would have done in the en- 
joyment of the greatest tranquillity and ease. 
Of his usual labours on the Sabbath we have 
the following account by himself: — " The 
English service lasted from five until half past 
six in the morning. The Italian began at nine. 
The second English service continued from 
half-past ten to half-past twelve. The French 
service began at one, At two I catechised 
the children. The third English service began 
at three. After this was ended I was joined 
by as many as my large room would hold, in 
reading, singing, and prayer. About six the 
service of the Germans began, at which I was 
glad to be present, not as a teacher, but as a 
learner." 

Mr. Wesley had repeatedly attended the 
court, and as often urged an immediate hear- 
ing of his case that he might answer the 
charges alleged against him. But this the 
magistrates refused, and at the same time coun- 
tenanced every report to his disadvantage. 



26 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

Perceiving that he had not the most distant 
prospect of obtaining justice, that those in pow- 
er were combined to oppress and injure him, 
and could (as experience had shown) any day 
procure evidence of words he had not spoken, 
and of actions he had not performed ; being 
also disappointed in the primary object of his 
mission, preaching to the Indians, he and his 
friends were of opinion that by these circum- 
stances Providence did now call him to leave 
Savannah. He gave public notice of his in- 
tention to return to England, and made ar- 
rangements accordingly. 

Such an event was what the unprincipled 
magistrates most ardently desired. Their con- 
duct in this affair proves that they were capa- 
ble of using any means whatever to rid them- 
selves and the colony of a man whose life was 
a constant reproof of their wickedness. They 
were successful. Yet on learning his inten- 
tion to return to England, they made a show 
of detaining him. 

November 3, 1737, after evening prayers, 
the tide serving, Mr. Wesley, in company with 
three persons, left Savannah for Charleston, 
no one attempting to hinder him. In travel- 
ling to Port Royal they suffered some hardships. 
Not being able to procure a guide from Pur- 
rysburg, they set out very early in the morn- 
ing without one, and consequently lost their 
way. They wandered in the woods till even- 
ing without any food but a part of a cake of 
gingerbread, which was divided among them, 






LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 27 

and without a drop of water. At night they 
dug with their hands about three feet into the 
ground, and found water. They slept on the 
ground. In the morning they rose, divided the 
rest of their gingerbread cake, and travelled on, 
hoping to find inhabitants. Between one and 
two in the afternoon they came to a house, 
where they obtained refreshment. 

Having encountered many difficulties, ihey 
came to Port Royal on the 6th of December, 
and the next day walked to Beaufort, on the 
opposite side of the island. Mr. Jones, the 
minister of the parish, invited Mr. Wesley to 
his house, and treated him with much kind- 
ness. On the 9th they took boat for Charles- 
ton ; but the wind being contrary, and provi- 
sions falling short, they landed at a plantation 
on the 11th to obtain a supply. They obtain- 
ed but a partial supply of very poor food. On 
the 15th they landed at Charleston, and met 
with a friendly reception. 

On the 22d of December he took his leave 
of America, having preached the Gospel in 
Savannah, as he observes, " not as I ought, but 
as I was able, for one year and nearly nine 
months." It may be proper here to observe 
that Mr. Whitefield arrived in Savannah in 
the month of May following, and made parti- 
cular inquiries into the disputes which had ex- 
isted, and bears testimony of the ill usage Mr. 
Wesley had received. Indeed, no person ac- 
quainted with the circumstances can indulge 
an idea unfavourable to Mr. Wesley's moral 



28 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

or ministerial conduct through the whole of 
the persecution he had endured. 

During his voyage to England Mr. Wesley 
closely and severely examined himself in re- 
ference to his religious state. The result he 
declares to have been a conviction — 1, of un- 
belief; 2, of pride; 3, of gross irrecollection ; 
4, of levity of spirit. He then cried, " Lord, 
save me, or I perish !" " Save me by such a 
faith as implies peace in life and death — by 
such humility as may fill my heart with a 
piercing sense that I have hitherto done no- 
thing — by such a recollection as shall enable 
me to cry to thee every moment — by sobriety 
of spirit, avoiding every word that tendeth not 
to edify." His close examination of himself 
also more fully convinced him of the truth of 
what he had subscribed to at his ordination, 
that he was " far gone from original righteous- 
ness," and " fallen short of the glory of God," 
— that glorious image in which man was at 
first created. He had felt much of this in the 
trials through which he had recently passed. 
The deliberate, and no doubt correct, conclu- 
sion to which he arrived in regard to his spi- 
ritual state was, that after all his sacrifices, 
labours, and sufferings, for the advancement 
of religion and the salvation of souls, he had 
not himself attained the "liberty wherewith 
Christ makes his people free." 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 29 



CHAPTER III. 

Mr. Wesley lands in England — His Christian expe- 
rience — Visits Holland — Interview with Prince Frede- 
ric — Returns to London — Excluded from the churches 
— His doctrines — Marks of the new birth — Interview 
with Mr. Whitefield — State of morals and religion — 
Preaches in the fields — First preaching house built — 
Progress of the work. 

Mr. Wesley landed in England on the 1st 
of February, 1738. Having reached London on 
the 3d, he waited on the governor of Georgia, 
now in England, and on the trustees of the 
colony. He was invited to preach in several 
of the churches. He now began to be popular, 
appearing in a new character, as a missionary 
lately returned from preaching the Gospel to 
the American Indians. The churches where 
he preached were crowded. This soon pro- 
duced the complaint that there was no room 
" for the best in the parish." That objection, 
together with the offence given by his plain, 
heart-searching sermons, produced in each 
place at last the following repulsion, " Sir, you 
must preach here no more." He replied, "Not 
as I will, but as thou wilt." 

At sea, and in America, Mr. Wesley had 
observed that many of the Moravian brethren 
enjoyed a peace and comfort in their minds to 
which he was a stranger. This absence of 
peace and enjoyment, we have seen, he attri- 
buted to a want of faith. He had supposed that 



30 LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

a strict self-denial, and a faithful performance 
of the duties which he owed to God and man, 
would produce in him the true Christian faith. 
In this he was sorely disappointed. He, how- 
ever, continued in the diligent use of the means 
of grace, and frequently and strongly recom- 
mended to others the exercise of evangelical 
faith. In the meantime, by frequent conver- 
sations with some eminently pious persons, he 
obtained clearer views of the Christian's privi- 
lege, and the way of attaining it. He was now 
enabled, as he says, " to trust in Christ, Christ 
alone, for salvation; and an assurance was 
given me that he had taken away my sins, 
even mine, and saved me from the law of sin 
and death." 

His soul now magnified the Lord, and his 
spirit rejoiced in God his Saviour. Because 
he was a son, God sent forth the Spirit of his 
Son into his heart, crying, " Abba, Father." 
The love of God was shed abroad in his heart 
by the Holy Ghost given unto him. And now 
that he was a child of God he brought forth 
the fruit of the Spirit. As soon as he was 
thus enabled to love God, he loved every child 
of man. " Immediately," says he, " I began 
to pray with all my might for those especially 
who had despitefully used me and persecuted 
me." His heart was now r enlarged to declare, 
as he had never before done, the loving kind- 
ness of God. It was his meat and drink to do 
his holy and acceptable will. In this thankful 
and happy frame of mind he continued for 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 31 

some time, believing in God, and being zealous 
of good works. Having few to help him, and 
many striving to hinder him, he was often in 
heaviness through trials and manifold tempta- 
tions. Sometimes he would suddenly fear that 
he had deceived himself, and stopped short of that 
grace which he had sought : he was sometimes 
tempted to cast away that confidence which 
hath "great recompense of reward." But the 
Lord who had brought him up out of the hor- 
rible pit of mire and clay did not suffer him to 
faint, but often lifted up his head with joy, and 
girded him with strength. Under these various 
exercises of mind he determined to visit Ger- 
many, that he might enjoy the society of some 
persons of whose piety he had a very high 
opinion, and who, under God, he hoped would 
be the means of confirming him in the faith of 
the Gospel. Having embarked, he landed at 
Rotterdam on the 15th of June. 

On his journey through Holland and Ger- 
many he conversed with many who were the 
happy partakers of the faith of the Gospel, and 
was hospitably entertained by them ; but espe- 
cially at Marienbourn, where he found a large 
company of witnesses of the power of true reli- 
gion. He wrote to his brother from this place 
concerning these Christians, " Their conversa- 
tion is in heaven. As they have all one Lord, 
one faith, so they are all partakers of one spirit, 
the spirit of meekness and love. O how high 
and how holy a thing Christianity is! How 
widely different from that — I know not what — 



32 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

which is so called, though it neither purifies 
the heart, nor renews the life after the image 
of our blessed Redeemer !" 

On his way to Hernhuth, the place of their 
destination, he and his company were detain- 
ed a considerable time at Weymar, and were 
at last brought before Frederic, then prince 
royal, afterward king of Prussia. Among other 
inquiries, the prince asked Mr. Wesley, "What 
are you going so far as Hernhuth for ?" He 
answered, " To see the place where the Chris- 
tians live." The prince looked hard at them 
and let them go. 

They arrived at Hernhuth, a settlement of the 
Moravians, on the first of August. The inha- 
bitants of this place were in general truly pious 
persons, who came here from various parts of 
Europe to escape the pollutions of the world, 
and to live wholly to God. No immorality 
was allowed among them, and every thing that 
tended to genuine religion was introduced and 
earnestly enforced among them. Here Mr. 
Wesley conversed with several persons who 
were deeply experienced in the things of God. 
The preaching also of some of them abundantly 
strengthened him in the grace of God. By 
these means he was stimulated to press forward 
after all the privileges of his high calling. 

On this visit he remarks, " Gladly would I 
have spent my life here, but my Master calling 
me to labour in another part of his vineyard, I 
was constrained to take my leave of this happy 
place on Monday, August 14, 1738." On his 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 33 

departure he makes this reflection, "0 when 
shall this Christianity cover the earth a£ the 
waters cover the sea ?" He took ship and sailed 
for England, being strengthened to do and suf- 
fer all the will of God, even to the spending his 
life in testifying the Gospel of the grace of 
God. 

After his arrival in London it was his desire 
to preach in a church rather than any other 
place. This he could seldom do. The same 
obstructions were in the way which had before 
shut the doors of so many churches against him. 
Rather the offence was increased. The peo- 
ple now more than ever flocked to hear him. 
Present salvation by faith, which he now preach- 
ed every where with zeal, though a principal 
doctrine of the Church, was seldom preached, 
and less understood. Although he was excluded 
from most of the churches, yet several other 
religious communities in various parts of the 
city received him gladly. He had access to 
Newgate, and also made excursions into the 
country, visited Oxford, and preached to the 
prisoners in the castle. Being thus diligent 
and zealous in declaring the truth in public, 
and in enforcing it in every company, and on 
every individual with whom he conversed, it 
could not be but that many reports concerning 
him would be spread in every place. The effect 
as of old was, " Some said he is a good man ; 
others said, Nay, but he deceiveth the people : 
and the multitude was divided." 

The points on which he chiefly insisted wen* 
3 



34 LIFE OF KEV. JOHN WESLEY, 

four : — First, That orthodoxy, or right opinions, 
is at best but a very small part of religion, — 
that religion does not consist in harmlessness, 
nor merely in externals, doing good, or using 
the means of grace, — that it is the image of 
God stamped upon the heart, inward righteous- 
ness, attended with the peace of God, and joy 
in the Holy Ghost. Secondly, That the only 
way to obtain this religion is, by " repentance 
toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. " 
Thirdly, That by this faith he that worketh not, 
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, 
his faith is counted to him for righteousness. 
He is "justified freely by his grace." Fourthly, 
That being justified by faith we are made holy 
and happy, and " sit in heavenly places in 
Christ Jesus." Consistent as these doctrines 
are with the Scriptures, and the articles of the 
Church of England, many who heard them be- 
gan to cry out that he brought " strange things 
to their ears." But when "they searched the 
Scriptures whether these things were so," they 
acknowledged "the truth as it is in Jesus." 
Their understandings being enlightened, their 
hearts were also influenced, and they determined 
•ito follow "Jesus Christ and him crucified." 

Although Mr. Wesley was actively engaged 
in promoting the salvation of others, he did not 
neglect himself. He says, "The surest test 
whereby we can examine ourselves whether we 
be indeed in the faith, is that given by St. Paul : 
'If any man be in Christ he is a new creature : 
old things arc r assed away ; behold, all thing* 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY- 35 

are become new.' First, His judgments are 
new, — his judgments of himself, of holiness, of 
happiness. Secondly, His designs are new. 
Thirdly, His desires are new. Fourthly, His 
conversation is new. Fifthly, His actions are 
new. Having proved himself by these tests, he 
concludes himself to be a new creature." 

Having learned that Mr. Whitefield had re- 
turned from America, he hastened to London 
to meet him, and they once more took sweet 
counsel together. A few clergymen now united 
with them, being convinced that the new doc- 
trines called Methodism were indeed the old 
doctrines of the Bible, and of the established 
Church. This little band with several others 
being assembled together on the evening of 
January 1st, 1739, they continued in prayer 
until the night was far spent. Mr. Wesley 
says, "About three in the morning, as we were 
continuing instant in prayer, the power of God 
came mightily upon us, insomuch that many 
cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to 
the ground." 

To awaken a drowsy and careless world sunk 
in sensuality and sin, the Lord at this time was 
pleased to work in an extraordinary manner. 
In many places while Mr. Wesley was expound- 
ing the Scriptures, many persons trembled and 
fell to the ground. Some of them cried aloud, 
and others appeared convulsed as in the agonies 
of death. Many of these were afterward emi- 
nent possessors of the holiness and happiness 
of religion, and declared that they had at the 



36 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

time above mentioned, such a deep sense of the 
dreadful nature of sin, and the just desert of it, 
that they were constrained to cry aloud for the 
disquietude of their heart. In others the change 
which the Scriptures speak of as evidencing a 
true conversion was not so apparent. While 
in some, neither godly sorrow for sin, nor joy, 
nor peace in believing, followed the impres- 
sions then made upon them. 

Mr. Wesley ever had the nicest sense of pro- 
priety, and was a great lover of order, but he 
also maturely considered these extraordinary 
exercises, and compared them with the word 
of God, and especially with the work of God 
on the souls of men, as described in the Scrip- 
tures, as also with the accounts of the work 
of God in the first three centuries and in the 
last century. The result at which he arrived 
was, that at different times the operations of 
the Spirit of God have produced such lively and 
powerful actings of the passions of fear, sorrow, 
joy, and love, as must necessarily have caused 
at the time considerable agitations of the body. 
Yet he clearly saw that every religious exercise 
must not be taken for true conversion. His 
only design being to bring men to that know- 
ledge of God which makes them holy, happy, 
and useful in life, and peaceful in death, he 
thankfully acquiesced in any means that the 
Lord was pleased to. use for the accomplishment 
of this great end. And when he saw those 
extraordinary effects accompanied by a godly 
sorrow for sin, and an earnest desire to be saved 



LIFE OF REV. JOILN WESLEY. 37 

from it, succeeded by an humble, loving faith in 
the Saviour, enabling them to walk worthy of 
the Lord, he therein greatly rejoiced. 

To all acquainted with the history of the 
period when the public life of Mr. Wesley 
commenced, it is a notorious fact, that the 
state of morals and religion was most deplo- 
rable. Those whose duty it was by profes- 
sion and obligation, " with all faithful diligence 
to banish and drive away from the Church all 
erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to 
God's word," and " to frame and fashion them- 
selves according to Christ's doctrine," being 
with few exceptions, as far from a correct 
faith as from a holy life. The doctrines of 
the Reformation were almost wholly lost from 
the pulpit, and the opinions of both ministers 
and people ; so that when they were preached 
by the Wesleys and their coadjutors, they 
were regarded as absurd and dangerous errors, 
although sanctioned not only by the Scriptures, 
but also by the formularies of the Church 
itself. The populace in the large towns were 
ignorant and profligate ; and to ignorance and 
profligacy, the inhabitants of villages added 
brutish and barbarous manners. There were 
indeed some exceptions, but such was the 
general state of morals and religion when the 
Messrs. Wesley, Whitefield, and a few kindred 
spirits, went forth to sacrifice ease, reputation, 
and even life itself, if necessary, to promote a 
reformation. Being richly furnished by the 
Head of the Church for the work to which he 



38 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

called them, and ardently loving the souls of 
their fellow men, these men of God went forth 
trusting in the Lord, and every trial tended to 
confirm them that they were indeed doing the 
will of God, and that the work was truly 
his. God wrought with his servants ; sinners 
were awakened and reclaimed from their 
vicious courses, and penitents who came in 
despair, went away in hope, and often with 
"peace and joy in believing." 

We have once before remarked that Mr. 
Wesley was a great lover of order and pro- 
priety. He was also much attached to esta- 
blished usages ; nor did he suffer himself to 
infringe upon them without the best reason for 
his conduct ; yet, when the providence of God 
marked a course, and there was a probability 
of increasing the sphere of his usefulness, 
neither the fear of irregularity, nor the charge 
of it, prevented his using means that promised 
success in the great work. Mr. Whitefield 
had for a while preached in Bristol, and the 
places where he preached being too small to 
accommodate the multitudes who crowded to 
hear him, he had begun to preach in the fields 
and highways. He sent a pressing invitation 
to Mr. Wesley to come and assist him. With 
great reluctance Mr. Wesley complied with 
the request; but not until he had used every 
means to learn the Lord's will concerning him. 
When he arrived, he commenced preaching in 
one of the rooms occupied for that purpose. 
But being encouraged by the example of our 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 39 

Lord, who preached upon a mountain, and 
having no place that would contain the num- 
bers who flocked together, * I submitted," says 
he, " to be yet more vile, and proclaimed in 
the highways the glad tidings of salvation ; 
speaking from a little eminence in a ground 
adjoining the city to about three thousand peo- 
ple on this scripture, " The Spirit of the Lord 
God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to 
preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent 
me to heal the broken-hearted ; to preach deliver- 
ance to the captives, and, recovery of sight to the 
blind ; to set at liberty them that are bruised, to 
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" 

His adopting this mode of preaching the 
Gospel to the poor was not of choice, but, as 
he observes, " a sudden expedient, a thing sub- 
mitted to rather than chosen, and therefore 
submitted to because I thought that preaching 
even thus, better than not preaching at all." 
" When I was told that I must preach no more 
in this, and this, and another church, so much 
more those who could not hear me there flock- 
ed together when I was at any of the socie- 
ties ; where I spoke more or less, though with 
much inconvenience, to as many as the room 
I was in would contain. But after a time, 
rinding these rooms could not contain a tenth 
part of the people who came to hear, I deter- 
mined to do the same thing in England which 
I had done in a warmer climate, namely, when 
the house would not contain the congregation, 
to preach in the open air. This I did first at 



40 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

Bristol and Kingswood, and afterward in of 
near London." 

He continued to expound in the society 
rooms, but it was when he preached in the 
open air that the Lord chiefly wrought by his 
ministry. Many thousands now attended the 
word, and so powerfully did the Lord work by 
his Spirit, that Mr. Wesley's voice was fre- 
quently drowned by the loud and bitter cry, 
" What shall I do to be saved .?" Many of the 
penitents were soon enabled to believe in Him 
who died " the just for the unjust," and were 
made happy in the love of God ; giving, by a 
subsequent holy life, sufficient evidence of a 
sound conversion. Blasphemies were now 
turned to praise, and the voice of joy and glad- 
ness was now heard from those who but a 
short time previous, sunk into the depth of 
wickedness and misery, neither feared God 
nor regarded man. 

After the example of the society in London, 
a few in Bristol agreed to meet together to 
edify and strengthen each other. Some of 
these were desirous of erecting a building suf- 
ficiently large to accommodate all who might 
attend public worship with them, and accord- 
ingly on the 12th of May, 1739, was laid the 
first stone of the first preaching house ever 
erected by Mr. Wesley. It was laid with the 
voice of thanksgiving and praise. God now 
so greatly blessed the labours of his servants, 
that hundreds of sinners were daily humbled 
under his mighty hand. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 41 

Mr. Wesley now laboured in many places 
between London and Bristol, many thousands 
still attending his ministry. In every place 
God bore witness to his own truth, and multi- 
tudes being convinced of the error of their 
ways brought forth fruit meet for repentance ; 
and not a few found ¥ redemption through his 
blood, even the forgiveness of sins." 

Various and strange reports were now cir- 
culated concerning him. He could say as 
Jeremiah did, " I have heard the defaming of 
many. Report, say they, and we will report 
it." The most common rumour was, that he 
was a Jesuit, and that he had evil designs 
against the Church, if not against the state. 
As various were the publications concerning 
him. These were in general but very short 
lived. Many were unworthy his notice, others 
he answered with great ability. 

His mother now began to attend his minis- 
try, being convinced that he spoke the words 
of truth and soberness. For some time pre- 
vious, misrepresentations had induced her to 
believe that her sons, John and Charles, were 
in a dangerous error. On this occasion her 
son Samuel, who was deeply prejudiced against 
his brother's preaching and conduct, laments 
with great surprise that his mother " should 
countenance the spreading delusion so far as 
to be one of Jack's congregation." The truth 
was, that until recently she had not known 
that it is the Christian's privilege to have a 
knowledge of salvation by the remission of 



42 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

sins, and an assurance of pardon by the wit- 
ness of the Spirit of God. This privilege she 
had just attained, and hence was desirous of 
enjoying the benefits of a ministry where this 
was taught, as the common privilege of all 
who are born of God. 

About this time he remarks concerning this 
work, " Such a work this hath been in many 
respects as neither we nor our fathers had 
known. Not a few of those whose sins were 
of the most flagrant kind, as drunkards, swear- 
ers, thieves, &c. have been brought from dark- 
ness unto light, and from the power of Satan 
unto God. Many of these were rooted in their 
wickedness, having long gloried in their shame, 
even to hoary hairs. Many of the Pharisees 
have also believed on him ; of the righteous 
that seemed to have no need of repentance ; 
and having received the sentence of death in 
themselves, have afterward been made par- 
takers of an inward vital religion, even right- 
eousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." 

" The manner in which God hath wrought 
this work is as strange as the work itself. As 
the lightning shining from heaven, so was the 
coming of the Son of man ; either to bring 
peace or a sword ; either to wound or to heal ; 
to convince of sins, or to give remission of sins 
in his blood. And the other circumstances at- 
tending it have been equally remote from what 
human wisdom would have expected. So true 
is that word, i My ways are not as your ways, 
nor my thoughts as your thoughts.' " 






LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 43 

Religion now made a rapid progress : socie- 
ties were formed in many places, and at con- 
siderable distance. The labourers as yet were 
few ; but, believing they were engaged in the 
cause of God against ignorance and profane- 
ness, which overspread the land, they were in- 
defatigable, scarcely giving themselves any rest 
day or night. The effects of their preaching 
made much noise, which at length roused some 
of the sleeping watchmen of Israel : not, in- 
deed, to inquire after the truth, and amend 
their ways, but to crush these irregular proceed- 
ings, that they might quietly sleep again. 
These opponents, however, had more zeal 
against Methodism than knowledge of it. They 
attacked it with nothing but idle stories, mis- 
representations of facts, and gross falsehoods. 
They retailed these from the pulpits, and pub- 
lished them from the press, with little regard 
to moderation, charity, or even decency. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Mr. Wesley visits Wales — Separation between him 
and Mr. Whitefield — Rules of the societies — Opposi- 
tion — Lay preaching — John Nelson — Mr. Wesley at 
Newcastle and Epworth — Generous Quaker — Origin 
of classes, watch nights, bands, and lovefeasts — Death 
and character of his mother. 

Toward the close of this year, Mr. Wesley, 
having had a pressing invitation, took a jour- 
ney to Wales, Here, as in England, he found 
the churches shut against him, yet willing mul- 
titudes attended his ministry in private houses, 



44 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

and in the open air. The people generally 
were very destitute of true religion, but ripe 
indeed for the Gospel, and earnestly desirous 
of being instructed in it. Here also the Lord 
gave him seals to his ministry; for many re- 
pented and believed the Gospel, and some 
united together to strengthen each other's hands 
in God. 

Though he was a member of the Church of 
England, and continued within her pale till 
removed to the Church triumphant, yet from 
the commencement of his acquaintance with 
the Moravians Mr. Wesley had highly esteemed 
them, and until this time had been connected 
with them in Christian society, and frequently 
laboured among them. But having for a length 
of time observed sentiments creeping in among 
them which he believed injurious to the work 
of God, and inconsistent with the Scriptures, 
he, with a few like minded with himself, so- 
lemnly dissolved his connection with them, hav- 
ing first assigned the reasons. This was done 
July 20, 1740. It is proper to observe, how- 
ever, that his objections were not against the 
whole body, but to that part of it which resided 
in London. And from a review of the facts, 
there is reason to believe that the pernicious 
doctrines which were at that time propagated 
by the minister of that society then in London, 
are not sanctioned by the Moravian Church, 
and consequently that the reproach of them 
does not attach to that respectable denomina- 
tion at the present day. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 45 

Mr. Wesley now met his little society at his 
preaching house, near Moorfields, London. This 
house was called the Foundry, because it was 
originally built for the casting of cannon. 
Here he regularly preached, and his word being 
owned of God, the society rapidly increased. 
He, therefore, now saw it necessary to draw up, 
jointly with his brother, a set of rules for his 
societies. These rules contain as fine a system 
of Christian morals as was ever drawn up in 
so small a compass, and are, with some small 
variations, the same by which the whole Wes- 
leyan connection in Europe, Asia, Africa, and 
America, have been governed till the present 
time. They are here copied, with the preface, 
afterward added by Mr. Wesley. 

The Nature, Design, and General Rules, 
of the United Societies, in London, Bristol, 
Kingswood, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, tyc. 

In the latter end of the year 1739, eight or 
ten persons came to me in London, who ap- 
peared to be deeply convinced of sin, and ear- 
nestly groaning for redemption. They desired 
(as did two or three more the next day) that I 
would spend some time with them in prayer, 
and advise them how to flee from the wrath to 
come; which they saw continually hanging 
over their heads. That we might have more 
time for this great work, I appointed a day 
when they might all come together, which from 
thence forward they did every week, namely, 
on Thursday, in the evening. To these, and 



46 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

as many more as desired to join with them, 
(for their number increased daily,) I gave 
those advices, from time to time, which I judged 
most needful for them ; and we always con- 
cluded our meeting with prayer suited to their 
several necessities. 

This was the rise of the United Society, first 
in London, and then in other places. Such a 
society is no other than " a company of men 
having the form and seeking the power of god- 
liness, united in order to pray together, to re- 
ceive the word of exhortation, to watch over 
one another in love, that they may help each 
other to work out their salvation." 

I. There is one only condition previously 
required of those who desire admission into 
these societies, — a desire to flee from the wrath 
to come, to be saved from their sins : but, where- 
ever this is really fixed in the soul, it will be 
shown by its fruits. It is, therefore, expected 
of all who continue therein, that they should 
continue to evidence their desire of salvation, 

First, By doing no harm, by avoiding evil 
in every kind; especially that which is most 
generally practised: such is, 

The taking the name of God in vain : 

The profaning the day of the Lord, either 
by doing ordinary work thereon, or by buying 
or selling : 

Drunkenness, buying or selling spirituous 
liquors, or drinking them t unless in cases of 
extreme necessity : 

Fighting, quarrelling, brawling ; brother go- 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 47 

ing to law with brother : returning evil for evil, 
or railing for railing : 

The using many words in buying or selling : 

The buying or selling uncustomed goods : 

The giving or taking things on usury : i. e. 
unlawful interest : 

Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, 
particularly speaking evil of magistrates or of 
ministers : 

Doing to others as we would not they should 
do unto us : 

Doing what we know is not for the glory of 
God, as 

The putting on of gold, or costly apparel : 

The taking such diversions as cannot be 
used in the name of the Lord Jesus : 

The singing those songs, or reading those 
books, which do not tend to the knowledge or 
love of God : 

Softness, and needless self-indulgence : 

Laying up treasure upon earth : 

Borrowing without a probability of paying ; 
or taking up goods without a probability of 
paying for them. 

II. It is expected of all who continue in these 
societies, that they should continue to evidence 
their desire of salvation, 

Secondly, By doing good, by being in every 
kind merciful after their power, as they have 
opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, 
and as far as possible, to all men : 

To their bodies, of the ability which God 
giveth, by giving food to the hungry, by clothing 



48 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

the naked, by visiting or helping them that are 
sick or in prison : 

To their souls, by instructing, reproving, or 
exhorting, all we have any intercourse with; 
trampling under foot that enthusiastic doctrine 
of devils, that " We are not to do good, unless 
our hearts be free to it:" 

By doing good, especially to them that are 
of the household of faith, or groaning so to be ; 
employing them preferably to others, buying 
one of another, helping each other in business, 
and so much the more, because the world will 
love its own, and them only: 

By all possible diligence and frugality, that 
the Gospel be not blamed : 

By running with patience the race that is 
set before them, denying themselves, and taking 
up their cross daily ; submitting to bear the 
reproach of Christ ; to be as the filth and ofF- 
scouring of the world ; and looking, that men 
should " say all manner of evil of them falsely r , 
for the Lord's sake" 

III. It is expected of all who desire to 
continue in these societies, that they should 
continue to evidence their desire of salvation, 

Thirdly, By attending on all the ordinances 
of God : — such are, 

The public worship of God : — the ministry 
of the word, either read or expounded : 

The Supper of the Lord ; family and private 
prayer ; searching the Scriptures ; and fasting 
or abstinence. 

These are the general rules of our societies ; 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 49 

all which we are taught of God to observe, even 
in his written word, the only rule, and the suf- 
ficient rule, both of our faith and practice. And 
all these we know his Spirit writes on every 
truly awakened heart. If there be any among 
us who observe them not, who habitually break 
any of them, let it be made known unto them 
who watch over that soul, as they that must 
give an account. We will admonish him of 
the error of his ways; we will bear with him 
for a season. But then, if he repent not, he 
hath no more place among us. We have de- 
livered our own souls. John Wesley, 

Charles Wesley. 

For a length of time Mr. Whitefield and the 
Messrs. Wesley had laboured together in great 
union, and sometimes appeared together in the 
same pulpit; but during Mr. Whitefield's se- 
cond visit to America, he had adopted the pe- 
culiar opinions of Mr. Calvin. The conse- 
quence was, that on his return he could not 
join his old friends in the work of the ministry 
with the same cordiality as before, inasmuch 
as Mr. Wesley still fully believed and firmly 
asserted the Scriptural truth, that " God is not 
willing that any should perish, but that all 
should come to the knowledge of the truth and 
be saved." This diversity of sentiment, and 
the controversy which followed, were for a time 
a source of serious evil to the societies, and 
occasioned a division among them. 

A separation took place between Mr. Wes- 
4 



50 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

ley and Mr. Whitefield, so far as to have dis- 
tinct places of worship. But their good opinion 
of each other's integrity and usefulness, founded 
on a long and intimate acquaintance, could 
not be injured by a difference of sentiment. 
Their controversy did not long abate the ar- 
dent affection they had for each other, which 
soon regained its former warmth, and their 
mutual regard and friendly intercourse conti- 
nued till Mr. Whitefield's death. Mr. White- 
field says in his will, written with his own hand, 
six months before his death, " I leave a mourn- 
ing ring to my honoured and dear friends, 
Rev. Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, in 
token of my indissoluble union with them in 
heart and Christian affection, notwithstanding 
our difference in judgment about some particu- 
lar points of doctrine." By Mr. Whitefield's 
request, Mr. Wesley preached his funeral ser- 
mon, in which he bore ample testimony to the 
piety, talents, zeal, and usefulness of his much 
loved and honoured friend. 

The constant increase of the people who 
put themselves under his care, involved Mr. 
Wesley in considerable difficulty. Either he 
must confine his labours to those whom he 
could visit constantly, or within a short spaco 
of time, or endeavour to procure some other 
assistance for them, and as he had no intention 
of forming a separate Church, he hoped that 
the ministers of the respective parishes would 
watch over those who were lately turned from 
the error of their ways. But this they were 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 51 

not disposed to do ; instead of watching over 
them and rendering them the assistance which 
they ought to have done, u they drove them in 
many instances from the Lord's table when 
they attempted to approach it — they stirred up 
the people against them, representing them in 
their public discourses as not fit to live ; as pa- 
pists, heretics, traitors, conspirators against 
their country. They preached all manner of 
evil against them, openly cursing them in the 
name of the Lord. They turned many out of 
their work, and persuaded others to do so too, 
and harassed them in all manner of ways. The 
result was, some were wearied out and turned 
back again, and then these good pastors would 
glory over them, and endeavour to shake others 
by their example." This being the course ge- 
nerally pursued, but one expedient remained, 
which was to find some one among themselves 
who was upright of heart, and of sound judg- 
ment in the things of God, and to desire him 
to meet the rest as often as he could, in order 
to confirm them in the ways of God, as he was 
able, either by reading to them, by prayer, or 
by exhortation. 

The want of such assistance was now par- 
ticularly felt in London ; this society having 
recently and deeply felt the mischievous * ef- 
fects of that instruction which is not accord- 
ing to the oracles of God. And therefore 
when Mr. Wesley was about to leave London 
for a season, he appointed one whom he judg- 
ed suitable, to meet the society at the usual 



52 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

times, and to pray with them, and give them 
such advice as might be needful. This was 
Thomas Maxfield, a young man, and one of 
the first fruits of his ministry at Bristol : being 
fervent in spirit and mighty in the Scriptures, 
he greatly profited the people. Crowds came 
to hear him, and by the increase of their 
numbers, as well as by their deep attention, 
he was induced to go farther than he at first 
designed. He began to preach, and the Lord 
so blessed his word that many were not only 
deeply awakened and brought to repentance, 
but were made happy in the consciousness of 
pardon, and giving the Scripture evidences of 
true conversion, proved the work to be of God* 
This irregularity, as it was termed by some, 
gave offence, and occasioned a formal com- 
plaint to Mr. Wesley, who hastened to Lon- 
don to put a stop to it. On his arrival, his 
mother, who then lived in his house, perceiv- 
ed that his countenance was expressive of 
dissatisfaction, and inquired the cause. He re- 
plied abruptly, " Thomas Maxfield has turned 
preacher, I find." She looked attentively at 
him and said, " John, you know what my 
sentiments have been. You cannot suspect 
me of favouring readily any thing of this kind. 
But take care what you do with respect to 
that young man, for he is as surely called of 
God to preach as you are. Examine what 
have been the fruits of his preaching, and hear 
him yourself." He did so. His prejudice 
bowed before the force of truth, and he could 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 53 

only say, " It is the Lord ; let him do what 
seemeth to him good." In other places the 
same assistance was raised up. So true it is 
that where the Lord has a work to be accom- 
plished, he cannot want for means, where 
means are necessary. Yet such, at that time, 
w r ere Mr. Wesley's High Church principles, 
imbibed from his youth by the whole course of 
his education, that he only submitted with reluc- 
tance to receive the assistance thus afforded. 

It was during the summer of this year, 
(1740,) that John Nelson, a mason, of Bristol, 
in Yorkshire, came to London to work at his 
trade. Here he heard that word which to 
his soul was " the power of God to salvation," 
He had full employment and high wages in 
London. But from the time of his finding 
peace with God, his mind was continually im- 
pressed with the idea that he must return to 
Yorkshire. He did so about Christmas. — 
His relatives and friends soon began to in- 
quire, " What he thought of this new faith ? 
and whether he believed that there was any such 
thing as a man's knowing that his sins were 
forgiven ?" John told them plainly, " that this 
new faith, as they called it, was the old faith 
of the Gospel, and that he was as sure that 
his sins were forgiven as he could be of the 
shining of the sun." This was soon noised 
abroad, and more and more came to inquire 
concerning these strange things. Some put 
him upon proving the great truths which such 
inquiries naturally Jed him to mention, and 



51 LIFE OF BEV. JOHN WESLEY. 

thus he was brought unawares to quote, ex- 
plain, and enforce several parts of the Scrip- 
ture, This he did at first sitting in his own 
house, till the company so increased that the 
house could not contain them. Then he 
stood in the door, which he was commonly 
obliged to do as soon as he returned from his 
work at evening. God set his seal to what 
was spoken, and several believed, and there- 
fore declared that God was merciful to their 
unrighteousness, and had forgiven all their 
sins. 

At the earnest request of this good man, 
Mr. Wesley visited him, and here he found a 
preacher and a large congregation, many of 
whom were the happy partakers of the faith 
of the Gospel. These had been made the sub- 
jects of Gospel privileges and spiritual enjoy- 
ments without the interference of Mr. Wes- 
ley or any other regular minister. He there- 
fore fully acquiesced in the order of God, and 
rejoiced that God's thoughts were not as his 
confined thoughts. His mind was now en- 
larged with love to God and man ; and he 
now determined more fully than ever to spend 
and be spent for the glory of his name, and 
the advancement of his cause. The journal 
of Mr. Nelson, which has been published, is 
well known. He was an extraordinary man. 
His understanding was strong, although un- 
assisted by education. His zeal for the sal- 
vation of souls was very great ; he suffered 
many injuries and much oppression from some 



LIFE OF KEV. JOHN WESLEY. 55 

persons of whom he had a right to expect a 
very different treatment. But his useful life 
is ended, and he has no doubt gone to the 
rest which remains for the people of God. 

From this time Mr. Wesley laboured much 
in Yorkshire, and in no part of England did 
religion take a deeper root, or have a wider 
spread than in this county. Numerous socie- 
ties were formed both in the villages and in 
the principal towns. 

Mr. Maxfield, who has been mentioned as 
the first lay preacher raised up to assist in the 
great work, was now regularly employed. — 
He was remarkably useful, and excited the 
astonishment of all who heard him. The late 
countess of Huntingdon heard him, and wrote 
to Mr. Wesley concerning him. " I have 
heard Mr. Maxfield. He is one of the great- 
est instances of God's peculiar favour that I 
know. He is my astonishment. He is high- 
ly favoured of the Lord." 

Mr. Wesley proceeded in his work of faith 
and labour of love, being greatly strengthened 
in the work by the success with which God 
crowned his labours. He now visited New- 
castle-upon-Tyne, with the neighbouring towns 
and villages. The following is his own account 
of this visit : — 

"May 28, 1742. We came to Newcastle 
about six, and after a short refreshment walked 
into the town. I was surprised; so much 
drunkenness, and cursing, and swearing, (even 
from the mouths of little children,) do I never 



56 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

remember to have seen and heard before in so 
short a time. Surely, this place is ripe for 
him who came not to call the righteous but sin- 
ners to repentance" 

" Sunday, 30. At seven I walked down to 
Sandgate, the poorest and most contemptible 
part of the town, and standing at the end of 
the street, with John Taylor, began to sing the 
hundredth Psalm. Three or four people came 
out to see what was the matter, who soon in- 
creased to four or five hundred. I suppose 
there might be twelve or fifteen hundred before 
I was done preaching, to whom I applied those 
solemn words, * He was wounded for our trans- 
gressions ; he was bruised for our iniquities ; 
the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and 
by his stripes we are healed J' Observing the 
people when I had done to stand gaping and 
staring upon me with the most profound asto- 
nishment, I told them, * If you desire to know 
who I am, my name is John Wesley. At five 
in the evening, with God's help, I design to 
preach here again.' 

"At five, the hill on which I designed to 
preach was covered from the top to the bottom. 
The word of God which I set before them was, 
* I will heal their backslidings ; I will love them 
freely. 9 After preaching, the poor people were 
ready to tread me under foot out of pure love 
and kindness. It was some time before I could 
possibly get out of the press. Several were 
got to our inn before me, by whom I was ve- 
hemently importuned to stay with them at least 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 57 

a few days, or, however, one day more." His 
engagements prevented his longer stay. 

He now visited Epworth, his native place, 
where his father had long preached apparently 
in vain. Having been long absent, and not 
knowing whether there were any left in the 
town who would not be ashamed of his ac- 
quaintance, he stopped at an inn. 

Mr. Wesley says, " Sunday, June 6, 1742, — 
A little before the service began, I went to Mr. 
Romley, the curate, and offered to assist him, 
either by preaching or reading prayers ; but he 
did not care to accept my assistance. The 
church was exceeding full in the afternoon, a 
rumor being spread that I was to preach. But 
the sermon on, < Quench not the Spirit,' was 
not suitable to the expectation of many of the 
hearers. Mr. Romley told them that one of 
the most dangerous ways of * quenching the 
Spirit,' was by enthusiasm, and enlarged on the 
character of an enthusiast in a very florid and 
oratorical manner. After sermon, John Taylor 
stood in the church yard, and gave notice as 
the people were coming out , ' Mr. Wesley, not 
being permitted to preach in the church, designs 
to preach here at six o'clock.' Accordingly 
at six I came and found such a congregation as 
I believe Epworth never saw before. I stood 
upon my father's tomb stone and cried, * The 
kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but 
righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy 
Ghost. 9 " 

On Friday he preached again, on Ezekiel's 



58 LIFE OF KEV. JOHN WESLEY. 

vision of the resurrection of the dry bones. 
And great indeed was trie shaking among them. 
Lamentation and great mourning were heard. 
Many lifted up their voices and wept aloud. 
On Saturday he preached again, on the right- 
eousness of the law and the righteousness of faith. 
While he was preaching, several dropped down 
as dead ; and such a cry was heard of sinners 
groaning for the righteousness of faith as almost 
drowned his voice. But God having spoken 
peace to many of these, they soon lifted up their 
voice with joy and thanksgiving to him. 

Mr. Wesley remarks, " I observed a gentle- 
man there who was remarkable for not pretend- 
ing to be of any religion at all. I was inform- 
ed that he had not been at a place of worship 
for upwards of thirty years. Seeing him stand 
motionless as a statue, I asked him abruptly, 
' Sir, are you a sinner V He replied with a deep 
and broken voice, ' Sinner enough !' and con- 
tinued staring upward till his wife and a ser- 
vant or two, who were all in tears, put him in- 
to a chaise and carried him home." On the 
following Sunday Mr. Wesley preached for the 
last time in Epworth churchyard, to a vast mul- 
titude. The services lasted near three hours, 
and even then he found it hard to leave them. 
He observes, " Near forty years did my father 
labour here. But he saw little fruit of his la- 
bours, but now the fruit appeared." Most of 
those on whom pains had formerly been be- 
stowed, now brought forth the fruits of repent- 
ance and conversion. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 59 

Toward the close of this year, Mr. Wesley 
began a practice which he continued to the end 
of his life, that of preaching at five o'clock in 
the morning, a thing till then unheard of in 
those parts. 

We have already noticed the commencement 
of Mr. John Wesley's labours at Newcastle. 
Mr. Charles Wesley also having preached there 
with great success, a society was formed, and 
the work continued to spread. A piece of ground 
having been obtained, they commenced the erec- 
tion of a house for worship. It being computed 
that such a house as was proposed, could not be 
built for a less sum than seven hundred pounds, 
(more than $3000,) many were positive that it 
could never be finished at all. " I was of 
another mind," says Mr. Wesley, "nothing doubt- 
ing but as it was begun for God's sake, he 
would provide what was needful for the finish- 
ing of it." When Mr. Wesley began this house, 
at that time the largest preaching house in Eng- 
land, he had but one pound six shillings, (less 
than six dollars !) A pious Quaker who had heard 
of the work at Newcastle, soon after sent him 
the following letter : " Friend Wesley, I have 
bad a dream concerning thee. I thought I 
saw thee surrounded with a large flock of sheep 
which thou didst not know what to do with. 
My first thought after I awoke was, that it was 
thy flock at Newcastle, and that thou hadst 
no house of worship for them. I have enclosed 
1 a note for one hundred pounds (444 dollars) 
which may help thee to provide a house." Mr, 



60 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

Wesley received, from time to time, the neces- 
sary supplies, and completed the house. 

Having received a letter pressing him to go 
without delay into Leicestershire, he set out. 
" The next afternoon," says he, " I stopped a 
little at Newport Pagnell, and then rode on till 
I overtook a serious man, with whom I imme- 
diately fell into conversation. He presently 
gave me to know what his opinions were : 
therefore I said nothing to contradict them. 
But that did not content him : he was quite 
uneasy to know whether I held the doctrine of 
the decrees as he did. But I told him over and 
over, we had better keep to practical things, 
lest we should be angry at one another. And 
so we did for two miles, till he caught me una- 
wares, and dragged me into the dispute before 
I knew where I was. He then grew warmer 
and warmer ; told me, I was rotten at heart ; 
and supposed I was one of John Wesley's fol- 
lowers. I told him, No, I am John Wesley 
himself. Upon which he appeared as one who 
had unawares trodden on a snake : and would 
gladly have run away outright. But being 
better mounted of the two, I kept close to his 
side, and endeavoured to show him his heart, 
till we came into the street of Northampton." 
The providence of God now led Mr. Wes- 
ley to adopt a regular and particular system of 
oversight in regard to the private walk of the 
members of his societies ; a plan which has 
proved an unspeakable blessing to them, even 
to the present day. We allude to class meet- 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 61 

ings. He says, "I was talking with several of 
the society in Bristol concerning the means of 
paying the debts there, when one stood up and 
said, * Let every member of the society give a 
penny a week till all are paid.' Another an- 
swered, « But many of them are poor, and can- 
not afford to do it.' — 'Then,' said the first, 
i put eleven of the poorest with me, and if they 
can give any thing, well. I will call on them 
weekly, and if they can give nothing I will 
give for them as well as for myself. And each 
of you call on eleven of your neighbours 
weekly ; receive what they give and make up 
what is wanting.' It was done. In a while 
some of these informed me, ' that they found 
such and such a one did not live as they ought.' 
It struck me immediately : * This is the thing 
— the very thing we have wanted so long.' I 
called together all the leaders of the classes, 
(so we used to term them and their companies,) 
and desired each one to make a particular in- 
quiry into the behaviour of those whom he saw 
weekly. They did so. Many disorderly walk- 
ers were detected. Some turned from the evil 
of their ways. Some were put away from us." 
As soon as possible, the same method was 
used in London and in all the other societies. 
The good which has resulted from this practice 
is incalculable. Hundreds of thousands will 
in eternity have occasion to praise God for this 
precious means of grace. It was made the 
duty of the leader to see each member of his 
class at least once a week, — to inquire particu- 



62 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

larly in reference to their spiritual prosperity: 
to advise, reprove, comfort, or exhort them, as 
occasion might require. This was done at first 
by visiting each person at his own house ; but 
as this was found inconvenient, the members of 
each class agreed to meet together at one 
place. When met, after singing and prayer, a 
full inquiry was made into the behaviour of 
each individual, and suitable instruction was 
added ; and after spending thus about one hour, 
these meetings were concluded with prayer and 
praise. 

The practice of holding watch nights, as 
they have since been termed, commenced at 
this time. Mr. Wesley gives the following 
account of their origin : "I was informed that 
several persons in Kingswood frequently met 
together at the school, and (when they could 
spend the time) spent the greater part of the 
night in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. Some 
advised me to put an end to this ; but upon weigh- 
ing the thing thoroughly, and comparing it with 
the practice of the ancient Christians, I could 
see no cause to forbid it. Rather I believed it 
might be made of more general use. So I sent 
them word that I designed to watch with them on 
the Friday nearest the full moon, that we might 
have light thither and back again. I gave 
public notice of this the Sunday before, and 
withal that I intended to preach ; desiring that 
they and they only would meet me there, who 
could do it without prejudice to their business 
or families. On Friday abundance of people 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 63 

came : I began preaching between eight and 
nine, and we continuea until a little beyond 
the noon of night, singing, praying, and prais- 
ing God. This we have continued to do once 
a month ever since, in Bristol, London, and 
Newcastle, as well as in Kingswood. And ex- 
ceeding great are the blessings we have found 
therein." [In the United States the general prac- 
tice is to hold these meetings only on the even 
ing preceding Christmas or New- Year's day.] 

In compliance with the desire of those who 
wished a means of a closer union than they 
could otherwise enjoy, the societies were divid- 
ed into small companies called bands. Each 
band was composed of married or unmarried 
men, or married or unmarried women. These 
met weekly to observe the advice of an inspired 
apostle, " Confess your faults one to another, and 
pray one for another, that ye may he healed" 

Imitating still farther the practice of the an- 
cient Christians, they all met together once in 
three months to " eat bread with gladness and 
singleness of heart" And thus the ancient 
love feasts were revived. These meetings 
being held for the exclusive benefit of the so- 
cieties, admission to them has ever been consi- 
dered a privilege to be granted only to proper 
persons, as the indiscriminate admission of all 
who might choose to attend, would subvert the 
design of the institution. They are com- 
menced with singing and prayer ; after which 
a small portion of plain bread and water is pass- 
ed to each person present, which is received in 



64 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

token of Christian love and fellowship. This be- 
ing done, all have the privilege of speaking freely 
of their religious experience. A contribution 
is then made for the poor, and the meeting is 
closed by praise and prayer. Very many and 
very great have been the advantages and en- 
joyments derived from such feasts of charity. 

July 20, 1742. Mr. Wesley arrived in 
London, being hastened by information of his 
mother's illness. He gives the following ac- 
count of her death : Friday, July 30, — About 
three in the afternoon I went to my mother, 
and found her change was near. I sat down 
on the bedside. She was in her last conflict, 
unable to speak, but I believe quite sensible. 
Her look was calm and serene, and her eyes 
were fixed upward while we commended her 
soul to God. From three to four the silver 
cord was loosing, and the wheel breaking at 
the cistern ; and then, without any struggle 
or sigh, the soul was set at liberty. We stood 
round the bed and fulfilled her last request, 
uttered a little before she lost her speech, — 
" Children, as soon as I am released, sing a 
song of praise to God." 

Sunday, August 1. He says, " Almost an 
innumerable company being gathered together, 
about five in the afternoon I committed to the 
earth the body of my mother, to sleep with 
her fathers." He afterward preached her 
funeral sermon on Rev. xx, 12. The follow- 
ing estimate of her character is given by the 
Rev. Dr. Clarke : "As a wife, she was affec- 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 65 

tionate and obedient, having a sacred regard 
for authority wherever lodged. As the mis- 
tress of a large family, her management was 
excellent in all its parts. As a Christian, she 
was humble, modest, pious. Her religion was 
as rational as it was Scriptural and profound. 
She was a tender mother, a wise and invaluable 
friend. Some of her children were eminent ; 
and he who excelled all the rest, owed, under 
God, at least one half of his excellences to the 
instructions of his mother. Such a woman I 
have not heard of, I have not read of, nor with 
her equal have I been acquainted. Such a one 
Solomon has described in the last chapter of his 
proverbs : Many daughters have done virtuously, 
but Susannah Wesley has excelled them all" 



CHAPTER V. 

Prosperity of religion — Rioters prosecuted in Lon- 
don — Riots in Wednesbury and Falmouth — Opposition 
in Cornwall — First conference held by Mr. Wesley — 
Foundation of Kingswood school — Liberality of a 
lady — Mr. Wesley encounters a mob at Plymouth 
Dock. 

Mr. Wesley having now the necessary hu- 
man aids, and the Lord blessing their labours, 
the work greatly prospered ; the old societies 
increased in numbers, and new ones were 
formed in various places. But as in the days 
of the apostles, so it was now : This sect was 
every where spoken against. Its enemies, in- 
deed, were not content with evil speaking. 
6 



66 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

But in the year 1740 the prompt execution of 
the laws effectually checked the proceedings 
of some rioters who had long disturbed the 
society in Bristol, and thenceforward they 
there had peace. In London the disturbances 
were more serious. Mr. Wesley and many 
of his serious hearers were treated in a shame- 
ful manner. The rioters followed them with 
showers of stones, and once attempted to un- 
roof the Foundry while the congregation was 
worshipping within, and nearly accomplished 
their design. The common cry was, " You 
may treat them as you please ; there is no law 
for them." But Sir John Ganson, the chair- 
man of the Middlesex justices, called on Mr. 
Wesley, and informed him, " that he had no 
need to suffer these riotous mobs to molest 
him ;" adding, " Sir, I and the other Middlesex 
magistrates have orders from above to do you 
justice, whenever you apply to us." A short 
time after they did apply, and justice was 
done, though not with rigour ; and from that 
time the society in London had peace. 

A circumstance related by Mr. Wesley 
throws some light on those "orders from 
above" One of the original society at Oxford 
eventually joined the society of Quakers, and 
settled at Kew. Being a man of considerable 
property, and of exemplary behaviour, he was 
much respected, and was favoured with free 
permission to walk in the royal gardens at that 
place. Here he frequently met the king, who 
conversed freely with him, and with apparent 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 67 

satisfaction. Upon one of these occasions his 
majesty, knowing that he had been at Oxford, 
inquired if he knew the Messrs. Wesley, add- 
ing, "They make a great noise in the nation." 
The Quaker replied, " I know them well, King 
George, and thou mayst be assured that thou 
hast not two better men in thy dominions, nor 
men that love thee better than John and 
Charles Wesley." He then proceeded to give 
some account of their principles and conduct, 
with which the king seemed much pleased. 
This circumstance may have occasioned the 
" orders from above." 

In some of the country places the riotous 
mobs proceeded to great excesses, and for a 
considerable time the societies suffered greatly. 
In the beginning of the year 1743, Mr. Wes- 
ley visited Wednesbury, and preached in it, 
and the adjacent parts, especially those inhabit- 
ed by colliers. Many were deeply affected, 
and about one hundred were joined in society. 
In two or three months they were increased 
to between three and four hundred, and en- 
joyed much peace. But during the summer 
the face of things was greatly changed. The 
Rev. Mr. E., the minister of Wednesbury, and 
several justices of the peace, stirred up the 
basest of the people, and the most scandalous 
and cruel outrages followed. Men, women, 
and children, were beaten and stoned in a 
shocking manner. Mr. Wesley's account of 
the treatment he received follows : — 

"Oct. 20, 1743. 1 rode to Wednesbury, 



68 LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

and at twelve I preached in a ground near the 
middle of the town, to a far larger congrega- 
tion than was expected, on 'Jesus Christ, the 
same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.' I be- 
lieve every one present felt the power of God, 
and no creature offered to molest us. I was 
writing at Francis Ward's in the afternoon, 
when the cry arose that < the mob had beset 
the house.' We prayed that God would dis- 
perse them. And it was so ; so that in half 
an hour not a man was left. I told our bre- 
thren, ? Now is the time for us to go ;' but they 
pressed me exceedingly to stay. So, that I 
might not offend them, I sat down, though I 
foresaw what would follow. Before five o'clock 
the mob surrounded the house again, in greater 
numbers than ever. The cry of one and all 
was, * Bring out the minister ; we will have 
the minister.' I desired one to take their 
captain by the hand and bring him into the 
house. After a few sentences interchanged 
between us, the lion was become a lamb. I 
desired him to go and bring in one or two of the 
most angry of his companions. He brought 
in two who were ready to swallow the ground 
with rage; but in two minutes they were as 
calm as he. I then bade them make way that 
I might go out among the people. As soon 
as I was in the midst of them, I called for a 
chair, and standing up, asked, * What do any 
of you want with me V Some said, < We 
want you to go with us to the justice.' I re- 
plied, 'That I will, with all my heart f t 



liIPE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 69 

then spoke a few words which God applied ; 
so that they cried out with might and main, 
1 The gentleman is an honest gentleman, and 
we will spill our blood in his defence !' I 
asked, ' Shall we go to the justice to-night, or 
in the morning V Most of them cried out, 
To-night ! to-night !' on which I went before, 
and two or three hundred followed. 

" The night came on before we had walked 
a mile, together with a heavy rain. However, 
we went on to Bentley Hall, two miles from 
Wednesbury. One or two ran before to tell 
Mr. Lane that ' they had brought Mr. Wesley 
before his worship.' Mr. Lane replied, 'What 
have I to do with Mr. Wesley? Go and 
carry him back again.' By this time the 
main body had come up and began knocking 
at the door. A servant told them, * Mr. Lane 
was in bed.' His son followed, and asked 
what was the matter ? One replied, ' Why 
an 't please you, they sing psalms all day ; 
nay, and make folks rise at five in the morn- 
ing. And what would your worship advise us 
to do V ' To go home,' said Mr. Lane, ' and 
be quiet.' 

" Here they were at a full stop, till one ad- 
vised ' to go to Justice Persehouse, at Wal- 
sal.' All agreed to this. So we hastened on, 
and about seven came to his house. But Mr. 
Persehouse likewise sent word that ' he was 
in bed.' Now they were at a stand again ; 
but at last they all thought it the wisest course 
to make the best of their way home. About 



70 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

fifty of them undertook to convoy me. But 
we had not gone a hundred yards before the 
Walsal mob came pouring in like a flood, and 
bore down all before them. The Darlaston 
mob made what defence they could ; but they 
were weary as well as outnumbered. So 
that in a short time, many being knocked 
down, the rest ran away, and left tne in their 
hands. 

" To attempt speaking was vain ; for the 
noise on every side was like the roaring of the 
sea. So they dragged me along till we came 
to the town ; where seeing the door of a large 
house open, I attempted to go in, but a man, 
catching me by the hair, pulled me back into 
the middle of the mob. They made no more 
stop till they had carried me through the main 
street. I continued speaking all the time to 
those within hearing, feeling no pain or weari- 
ness. At the upper end of the town, seeing a 
door half open, I made toward it and would 
have gone in, but a gentleman in the shop 
would not suffer me, saying, « They would pull 
the house down to the ground.' However, I 
stood at the door and asked, 6 Are you willing 
to hear me speak V Many cried out, < No ! 
no ! Knock his brains out ! Down with him, 
kill him at once !' Others said, 'Nay, but we 
will hear him first.' I began, asking, 6 What 
evil have I done ? Which of you all have I 
wronged in word or deed?' and continued 
speaking above a quarter of an hour, till my 
voice suddenly failed. Then the floods began 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 71 

to lift up their voice again, many crying out, 
■ Bring him away ! Bring him away !' 

" In the meantime my strength and my 
voice having returned, I broke out aloud into 
prayer. And now the man who just before 
headed the mob, turned and said, < Sir, I will 
spend my life for you. Follow me, and not 
one soul here shall touch one hair of your 
head.' Two or three of his fellows confirmed 
his word, and got close to me immediately. 
At the same time the gentleman in the shop 
cried out, < For shame ! For shame ! Let him 
go.' An honest butcher, who was a little far- 
ther off, said, ' It was a shame that they should 
do thus,' and pulled back four or five, one after 
another, who were running on the most fierce- 
ly. The people then, as if it had been by com- 
mon consent, fell back to the right and left, 
while three or four men took me between them 
and carried me through them all. But on the 
bridge the mob rallied again ; we therefore 
went on one side, over the mill dam, and 
thence through the meadows, till, a little before 
ten, God brought me safe to Wednesbury ; 
having lost only one flap of my waistcoat and 
a little skin from one of my hands. 

" I never saw such a chain of providences 
before ; so many convincing proofs that the 
hand of God is on every person and thing, 
overruling as it seemeth him good. From the 
beginning to the end, I found the same pre- 
sence of mind as if I had been sitting in my 
study. But I took no thought for one moment 



12 LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

before another ; only once it came into my 
mind, that if they should throw me into the 
river, it would spoil the papers that were in 
my pocket. For myself, I did not doubt that I 
should swim across, having but a thin coat and 
a light pair of boots. 

" When I came back to Francis Ward's, I 
found many of our brethren waiting upon God. 
Many, also, whom I had never seen before, 
came to rejoice with us. And the next morn- 
ing when I rode through the town, on my way 
to Nottingham, every one whom I met ex- 
pressed such a cordial affection that I could 
scarcely believe what I saw and heard." 

Mr. Wesley now visited Cornwall, and form- 
ed a considerable society, many of whom en- 
joyed peace with God. But both he and his 
serious hearers were roughly treated by the 
rector, the curate, and the gentry, who set the 
mob upon them on every occasion. Many of 
the people were wounded ; and the preaching 
house at St. Ives was pulled down to the 
ground. 

The following account of the persecution 
which Mr. Wesley met with in Falmouth and 
its vicinity, is given to show more fully what 
he endured in the early period of his labours. 

"July 4, 1744. I rode to Falmouth. About 
three in the afternoon I went to see a gentle- 
woman who had been indisposed. Almost as 
soon as I sat down, the house was beset on all 
sides by an innumerable multitude of people. 
A louder or more confused noise could hardly 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 73 

be at the taking of a city by storm. At first 
Mrs. Band and her daughter endeavoured to 
quiet them. But it was labour lost. They 
might as well have attempted to still the raging 
of the sea, and were therefore glad to shift for 
themselves. The rabble roared with all their 
throats. < Bring out the Canorum ! Where 
is the Canorum?' (an unmeaning word which 
the Cornish rabble then used instead of Metho- 
dist.) No answer being given, they quickly 
forced open the outer door, and filled the Das- 
sage. Only a wainscot partition was between 
us, which was not likely to stand long. I im- 
mediately took down a large looking glass 
which hung against it, supposing the whole 
side would fail in at once. They began their 
work with abundance of bitter imprecations. 
A poor girl, who was left in the house, was ut- 
terly astonished, and cried out, < O, sir, what 
must we do V I said, ' We must pray.' In- 
deed, at that time, to all appearance, our lives 
were not worth an hour's purchase. She asked, 
'But, sir, is it not better for you to hide your- 
self? To get into the closet?' I answered, 
1 No ; it is best for me to stand just where I 
am.' Among those without were the crews of 
two privateers, which were lately come into 
the harbour. Some of these being angry at 
the slowness of the rest, thrust them away, and 
coming up all together, set their shoulders to 
the inner door, and cried out, ' Avast, lads ! 
avast !' Away went all the hinges at once, 
and the door fell back into the room. I step- 



74 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEtf. 

ped forward into the midst of them and said, 

* Here am I ! Which of you has any thing to 
say to me ? To which of you have I done any 
wrong ? To you 1 Or you ? Or you V I 
continued speaking till I came into the middle 
of the street, and then raising my voice, said, 

* Neighbours, countrymen, do you desire to hear 
me speak?' They cried vehemently, ' Yes, 
yes, he shall speak. He shall. Nobody shall 
hinder him.' But having nothing to stand on, 
and no advantage of ground, I could be heard 
by a few only. However, I spoke without in- 
termission ; and as far as the sound reached, 
the people were still, till one or two of their 
captains turned about and swore, ' Not a man 
shall touch him.' Mr. Thomas, a clergyman, 
then came up and asked, ' Are you not asham- 
ed to use a stranger thus V He was seconded 
by two or three gentlemen of the town, and 
one of the aldermen, with whom I walked down 
the town, speaking all the way, until I came to 
Mrs. Maddern's house. The gentlemen pro- 
posed sending for my horse to the door, and 
desired me to step in and rest the meantime. 
But on second thoughts they judged it not ad- 
visable to let me go out among the people 
again. So they chose to send my horse before 
me to Penryn, and to send me thilher by wa- 
ter ; the sea running close by the back door of 
the house where we were." 

The good hand of God being upon his ser- 
vant for good, he escaped from the danger to 
which he had been exposed, without receiving 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 75 

the smallest injury. Who can deny that God 
hears prayer 1 Or that he hath all power in 
heaven and earth? 

Mr. Henry Millard, one of the preachers in 
Cornwall, wrote Mr. Wesley in September 
of this year, " The word of God has free 
course here ; it runs and is glorified. But the 
devil rages horribly. I was going to Crowan 
on Tuesday, and within a quarter of a mile of 
the place, some met me and begged me not to 
go up, saying, * If you do there will be murder, 
if there is not already, for many were knocked 
down before we came away.' By their advice 
I turned back to the house where I had left my 
horse. We had been there but a short time 
when many of the people came in very bloody. 
But the main cry of the mob was, < Where is 
the preacher V whom they sought for in every 
part of the house, swearing bitterly, 'If we 
can but knock him on the head we shall be sa- 
tisfied.' " 

They had calculated on meeting Mr. Millard 
at a neighbouring town on the Sabbath follow- 
ing, but were disappointed, it being Mr. West- 
all's appointment to preach. While he was 
preaching, he was forcibly taken away by the 
mob and carried to a neighbouring town, 
where on the Tuesday following, the Rev. Dr. 
Borlase, the magistrate, committed him to the 
house of correction, as a vagrant. But the 
justices of the next quarter sessions declared 
that his commitment was contrary to all law, 
and immediately set him at liberty. 



76 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

The preachers in different parts of the king- 
dom drank of the same cup, and in many in- 
stances they suffered greater persecutions than 
Mr. Wesley. Stones, dirt, and filthy missiles, 
were the common weapons of the mob ; and 
sometimes they threw the preachers into ponds 
of water and held them down till nearly drown- 
ed. Applications to inferior magistrates were 
generally in vain. But the court of king's 
bench did ample justice on every application, 
and the result was, that in many places peace 
was restored. 

Mr. Wesley preached in most towns in Corn- 
wall notwithstanding this violent and brutal 
opposition. The God whose truth he preached, 
made the Gospel the powerful instrument of the 
salvation of hundreds who believed it ; and 
subsequently a great moral change was effect- 
ed in the inhabitants. 

During these persecutions in Cornwall, John 
Nelson, who has been before mentioned, and 
Thomas Beard, an honest and industrious man, 
were pressed and sent off as soldiers, for no 
other offence, either committed or alleged, but 
that of calling sinners to repentance. Mr. 
Nelson, after suffering much ill usage, was re- 
leased, and preached the Gospel many years. 
But the ill treatment endured by Mr. Beard 
caused his death. He died in the hospital at 
Newcastle, happy in God. 

Had these men been influenced by any other 
principles than those furnished by the Gos- 
pel, the persecutions and dangers to which 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 77 

they were exposed would have driven them 
from the field ; but they endured " hardness as 
good soldiers" and were eventually more than 
conquerors. God wrought with them and by 
them, and his grace was manifested in the con- 
version of many of their greatest enemies. 

Heretofore the preachers had laboured in 
different parts of the kingdom without any 
regular plan. But Mr. Wesley now found it 
absolutely necessary to divide the work into 
circuits, and to assign a certain number of 
preachers to each circuit. A number of the 
preachers were now summoned to meet toge- 
ther. These, with Mr. Wesley at their head, 
were termed the Conference. His design in 
meeting them was to consult concerning the 
affairs of the societies — to regulate the circuits 
— to assign to the preachers, severally, their 
sphere of labour — to examine their ministerial 
and moral conduct — and also to review their 
doctrines and discipline. 

Mr. Wesley's great love of order and exact- 
ness was now abundantly gratified. In every 
place where he, or the preachers in connection 
with him, laboured, the same rules were ob- 
served in the formation and government of the 
societies. From this time the work of reform- 
ation and true religion advanced with a regu- 
larity highly characteristic of the true Gospel 
of God our Saviour. 

In accordance with his great concern and 
fervent zeal for the salvation of his fellow men, 
and to do good of every sort, and in every 



78 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY* 

possible way, with all the ability which God 
gave him, Mr. Wesley felt deeply the im. 
portanee of giving to children a useful and re- 
ligious education. For this purpose he had 
erected a small school at Kings wood for the 
benefit of the colliers' children ; and in June, 
1748, he opened his large school at the same 
place. The original design of this school was, 
to give a liberal education to the children of 
religious parents, without endangering their 
morals by exposure to the vices prevalent in 
most large schools at that time. This school 
has since been wholly appropriated to the edu- 
cation of the sons of itinerant ministers. 

A short time previous to the erection of the 
Kingswood school edifice, Mr. Wesley was in 
company, and mentioned to a lady present his 
desire and design to erect a Christian school, 
such as would not disgrace the apostolic age. 
The lady was so pleased with his views, that 
she immediately brought him five hundred 
pounds (2,220 dollars) in bank notes, and de- 
sired him to enter upon his plan immediately. 
He did so. Afterward, being in company 
with the same person, she inquired how the 
building went on, and whether he stood in 
need of farther assistance. He informed her 
he had expended all the money he had received, 
and was three hundred pounds (1,332 dollars) 
in debt ; at the same time apologizing, and en- 
treating her not to consider it a concern of 
hers. But she retired, and directly brought 
him the sum he needed. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 79 

The following incident occurred during a 
journey which Mr. Wesley made to the west 
of England, and finely exhibits his calm Chris- 
tian courage. " Within two miles of Ply- 
mouth," he writes, " one overtook and informed 
us, that the night before, all the Dock was in an 
uproar ; and that a constable, endeavouring to 
keep the peace, was beaten and much hurt. 
As we were entering the Dock, one met us, 
and desired we would go the back way ; ■ For,' 
said he, ■ there are thousands of people waiting 
about Mr. Hyde's door.' We rode straight up 
into the midst of them. They saluted us with 
three huzzas ; after which I alighted, took 
several of them by the hand, and began to talk 
with them. I would gladly have passed an 
hour among them, and I believe if I had, there 
had been an end of the riot ; but the day be- 
ing far spent, (for it was past nine o'clock,) I 
was persuaded to go in. The mob then re- 
covered their spirits, and fought valiantly with 
the doors and windows. But about ten they 
were weary, and went every man to his own 
house. The next day I preached at four, and 
then spoke severally to a part of the society. 
About six in the evening I went to the place 
where I had preached the last year. A little 
before we had ended the hymn, came a lieuten- 
ant, a famous man, with his retinue of soldiers, 
drummers, and mob. When the drums ceased, 
a gentleman barber began to speak ; but his 
voice was quickly drowned in the shouts of the 
multitude, who grew fiercer and fiercer as their 



80 LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

numbers increased. After waiting about a 
quarter of an hour, perceiving the violence of 
the rabble still increasing, I walked down into 
the thickest of them, and took the captain of 
the mob by the hand. He immediately said, 
'Sir, I will see you safe home. Sir, no man 
shall touch you. Gentlemen, stand oft'. Give 
back. I will knock the first man down that 
touches him.' We walked on in great peace ; 
my conductor every now and then stretching 
out his neck, (he was a very tall man,) and 
looking round, to see if any behaved rudely, 
till we came to Mr. Hyde's door. We then 
parted in much love. I stayed in the street 
near half an hour after he was gone, talking 
with the people, who had now forgot their 
anger, and went away in high good humour. " 



CHAPTER VI. 

Mr. Wesley visits Ireland — Riot at Cork, encouraged 
by the mayor — Shameful proceedings against the 
preachers and others — Mr. Wesley is mobbed and 
burned in effigy — Mob excited by the chief magistrate 
of the city— Disturbance at Bandon — Mr. Wesley's 
almost incredible labours. 

From the commencement of his ministry, 
Mr. Wesley had but one design, which was, 
to be useful to his fellow men in the greatest 
possible degree. This design he incessantly 
pursued himself, and urgently incited all those 
who laboured in connection with him, to do 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 81 

likewise. In prosecuting this noble object, 
they were constantly endeavouring to enlarge 
their sphere of action. In the summer of this 
year (1747) one of the preachers visited Dub- 
lin, and preached. The word was received, 
and brought forth Scriptural fruits. A society 
was formed ; and an account of this success 
induced Mr. Wesley to visit Ireland in August 
of this year. 

Immediately on his arrival, the minister 
officiating in St. Mary's church, invited him 
to preach. He says he preached to as " gay 
and senseless a congregation as he ever saw." 
He received the affectionate thanks of the 
minister for his sermon, and an invitation to 
visit him and spend some time with him. 
Having preached morning and evening for a 
few days, to large congregations, and having 
also provided for the people by leaving two 
preachers with them, he sailed for England, 
leaving all in peace. But, soon after he left 
Dublin, the Papist mob arose, broke open the 
preaching house, and destroyed all before them. 
An appeal to the proper authorities was made 
in vain. 

In the spring of 1748 Mr. Wesley, accom- 
panied by Messrs. Meriton and Swindells, again 
visited Dublin, and after spending a few days 
in the city, he visited many parts of the coun- 
try. In several places he was constrained to 
preach in the open air, by reason of the multi- 
tude that attended. Many of the soldiers, also, 
in every place, gladly heard the word ; and forty 
6 



82 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

troopers were at this time members of the so. 
ciety at Philipstown. The reception he met in 
some places may be learned by the following 
incident from his journal : — 

" Tuesday, May 3, 1748. I rode to Birr, 
twenty miles from Athlone ; and, the key of the 
sessions' house not being to be found, declared 
'tlie grace of our Lord Jesus Christ' in the 
street to a dull, rude, senseless multitude. Many 
laughed the greater part of the time. Some 
went away just in the middle of a sentence. 
And yet, when one cried out, (a Carmelite 
friar, clerk to the priest,) 'You lie! you lie!' 
the zealous Protestants cried out, 'Knock him 
down!' And it was no sooner said than done. 
I saw some bustle, but knew not what was the 
matter till the whole was over." 

But the Lord gave a balance to this con- 
tempt. For on the 10th, when he left Athlone, 
(which he visited after Birr,) he with much 
difficulty broke away from that "immeasurably 
loving people," (to use his own expression,) 
and not so soon as he imagined neither; for, 
when he drew near the turnpike, about a mile 
from the city, a multitude waited for him at 
the top of the hill. They fell back on each 
side, and made him way, and then joined, and 
closed him in. After singing two or three 
verses, he put forward, when on a sudden he 
was surprised by such a cry of men, women, 
and children, as he had never heard before. 
" Yet a little while," said he, speaking of tais 
interesting occurrence, " and we shall meet to 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 83 

part no more; and sorrow and sighing shall 
flee away for ever." 

On his return to Dublin he spent some days 
there previous to his departure for England. 
On one of these days, while he was preaching 
on the green, near the barrack, a man cried 
out, "Aye, he is a Jesuit: that's plain." To 
which a popish priest, who happened to be 
near, replied, " No, he is not. I would to God 
he was." 

Soon after he sailed, the zealous mob, who 
for some time had greatly incommoded the con- 
gregation at the preaching house in Marlbo- 
rough-street, made an attack in form. They 
abused the preacher and people in a very gross 
manner. They then pulled down the pulpit, 
and carrying it, with the benches, into the 
street, made a large fire of them, round which 
they shouted for several hours. 

Those preachers who remained in Ireland, 
continued their labours with much success. 
Mr. Swindells visited Limerick, one of the 
most considerable cities in the province of 
Munster. The Lord much blessed his labours 
there, so that a society was soon formed ; and 
the religious impression was so great on the 
inhabitants in general, that Mr. Wesley ob- 
serves, on his visit to the city the following 
year, that he found no opposition ; but every 
one seemed to say, " Blessed is he that cometh 
in the name of the Lord /" 

But in Cork the scene was very different. 
For more than three months, a riotous mob, 



84 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY". 



headed by one Butler, a ballad-singer, had de 
clared open war against the new reformers, 
and all who attended their preaching. To give 
a detail of their violence would be almost too 
shocking to human nature. They fell upon 
men and women, old and young, with clubs and 
swords, and beat and wounded them in a dread- 
ful manner. But they were not content with 
thus abusing the people when attending the 
preaching. They surrounded their houses, 
wounded their customers, broke their windows, 
and threatened to pull their houses down, un- 
less they would engage to leave this way. And 
several even of the magistrates rather encou- 
raged than strove to prevent these disorders. 

A Mr. Jones, a considerable merchant, who 
was a member of the society, applied to the 
mayor, but could not obtain redress. The house 
of a Mr. Sullivan being beset, and the mob be- 
ginning to pull it down, he applied to the may- 
or, who, after much importunity, came with 
him to the spot. When they were in the midst 
of the mob, the mayor said aloud, " It is your 
own fault for entertaining those preachers: if 
you will turn them out of your house, I will 
engage there shall be no harm done; but if 
you will not turn them out, you must take what 
you get." On this the mob set up a huzza, 
and threw stones faster than before^ Mr. Sul- 
livan exclaimed, "This is fine usage under a 
Protestant government. If I had a priest say- 
ing mass in every room of it, my house would 
not be touched." The mayor replied, " The 






LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 85 

priests are tolerated ; but you are not. You 
talk too much : go in, and shut up your doors." 
Seeing no remedy, he did so ; and the mob 
continued breaking the windows, and throwing 
stones into the house, till near twelve at night. 
A poor woman, having expressed some concern 
at seeing Butler with his ballads in one hand 
and a Bible in the other, out of which ho 
preached, in his way, Mr. Sheriff Reily ordered 
his bailiff to carry her to Bridewell, where she 
was confined two days ! 

After this, it was not for those who had any 
regard either for their persons or goods to op- 
pose Mr. Butler. So the poor people patiently 
suffered whatever he or his mob thought fit to 
inflict upon them, till the court drew on, at 
which time they confidently expected to find 
sufficient, though late relief. In this, however, 
they were disappointed. The grand jury not 
only refused to find bills against the disturbers 
of the public peace, but actually presented Mr. 
Charles Wesley, Mr. Swindells, Mr. Williams, 
Mr. Sullivan, and several others, as persons of 
ill fame, vagabonds, and disturbers of his ma- 
jesty's peace, and prayed that they might be 
transported. 

Butler and his mob now triumphed. They 
scoured the streets day and night ; and he pub- 
licly declared " he had fuh liberty to do what- 
ever he would." 

In consequence of the shameful refusal of 
justice above mentioned, the rioters continued 
the same outrages during the great part of the 



86 LTJPiS OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

following winter. At the next session of the 
court, the preachers (who made up the whole 
number then travelling in the kingdom, or at 
least as many of them as had ever been in 
Cork, or its neighbourhood) assembled at the 
house of Mr. Jones, and went from thence in 
a body to the court, accompanied by Mr. Jones 
and other reputable inhabitants. The judge 
behaved as became him. He inquired where 
were the persons presented. On their being 
pointed out to him, he was for some time visi- 
bly agitated, and unable to proceed. He at 
length called for the evidence, on which Butler 
appeared. On his saying, in answer to the 
first question, that he was a ballad-singer, the 
judge desired him to withdraw, observing, 
" That it was a pity that he, who was a vaga- 
bond by profession, had not been presented /" 
No other person appearing, he turned to the 
preachers, and said, " Gentlemen, there is no 
evidence against you; you may retire; I am 
sorry that you have been treated so very im- 
properly. I hope the police of this city will 
be better attended to for the time to come." 

It was now generally believed there would 
be no more riots in Cork. But the flame of 
persecution was not yet extinct. Mr. Wesley 
arrived in Ireland in April, 1750 ; and having 
preached in Dublin and the intermediate places, 
he proceeded to Cork ; and at the repeated in- 
vitation of Alderman Pembroke, came to his 
house. On the day following (the Sabbath) he 
went out about eight o'clock to Hammond's 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 87 

marsh, being informed that the usual place of 
preaching would by no means contain those 
who desired to hear. The congregation was 
large and attentive. A few of the rabble ga- 
thered at a distance; but, by little and little, 
they drew near, and mixed with the congrega- 
tion, and he preached to as quiet and orderly 
an assembly as he could have met with in any 
church in England or Ireland. 

In the afternoon, a report being spread 
abroad that the mayor designed to hinder his 
preaching on the marsh in the evening, he de- 
sired Mr. Skelton and Mr. Jones to wait upon 
him, and inquire concerning it. Mr. Skelton 
asked if Mr. Wesley's preaching would be dis- 
agreeable to him ; adding, " Sir, if it is, Mr. 
Wesley will not do it." He replied, warmly, 
" Sir, I'll have no mobbing." Mr. Skelton 
said, " Sir, there was none this morning." He 
answered, " There was. Are there not churches 
and meeting houses enough ? I will have no 
more mobs and riots." Mr. Skelton replied, 
" Sir, neither Mr. Wesley, nor they that heard 
him, made either mobs or riots." He then 
answered, plainly, " I will have no more preach- 
ing ; and if Mr. Wesley attempts to preach, I 
am prepared for him." 

He, however, began preaching in the house 
soon after five. Mr. Mayor, in the mean 
time, was walking in the Exchange, and giv- 
ing orders to the town drummers, and to his 
sergeants — doubtless, " to go down and keep 
the peace !" They accordingly came down to 



88 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

the house, with an innumerable mob attending 
them. They continued drumming, and Mr. 
Wesley continued preaching, till he had finish- 
ed his discourse. When he came out, the 
mob immediately closed him in. Observing 
one of the sergeants standing by, he desired 
him to keep the king's peace : but he replied, 
" Sir, I have no orders to do that." As soon 
as he came into the street, the rabble threw 
whatever came to hand. But all went by him, 
or flew over his head. Nor did one thing 
touch him. He walked on straight through 
the midst of the rabble, looking every man 
before him in the face ; and they opened 
on the right and left, till he came near Dant's 
bridge. A large party had taken possession 
of this, one of whom was bawling out, "Now, 
hey for the Romans !" When he came up, 
they likewise shrunk back, and he walked 
through them to Mr. Jenkins' house. But a 
Romanist stood just within the door, and en- 
deavoured to hinder him from going in, till 
one of the mob (aiming at him, but missing) 
knocked down the Romanist. He then went 
in, and God restrained the wild beasts, so that 
not one attempted to follow him. 

But many of the congregation were more 
roughly handled ; particularly Mr. Jones, who 
was covered with dirt, and escaped with his 
life almost by a miracle. The main body of 
the mob then went to the house, brought out 
all the seats and benches, tore up the floor, the 
door, the panes of the windows, and whatever 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 89 

of wood work remained ; part of which they 
carried off for their own use, and the rest they 
burned in the open street. 

Finding there was no probability of their 
dispersing, Mr. Wesley sent to Alderman Pem- 
broke, who immediately desired Alderman Win- 
throp, his nephew, to go down to him at Mr. 
Jenkins' ; with whom they walked up the 
street, none giving them an unkind or disre- 
spectful word. 

Monday, 21. — He rode on to Bandon. From 
three in the afternoon till past seven, the mob 
of Cork marched in grand procession, and 
then burned him in effigy near Dant's bridge. 

Tuesday, 22. — The mob and drummers were 
moving again, between three and four in the 
morning. The same evening they came down 
to the marsh, but stood at a distance from Mr. 
Stockdale's house, till the drums beat, and the 
mayor's sergeant beckoned to them, on which 
they drew up and began the attack. The 
mayor being sent for, came with a party of 
soldiers, and said to the mob, " Lads, once, 
twice, thrice, I bid you go home. Now I have 
done." He then went back taking the soldiers 
with him. On which the mob, pursuant to 
their instructions, went on and broke all the 
glass, and most of the window panes in pieces. 

The following day the mob continued to 
patrol the streets, and abuse all that were 
called Methodists, threatening to murder them, 
and pull down their houses, if they did not 
leave this way. 



90 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

At this time Mr. Wesley enjoyed peace at 
Bandon, notwithstanding the unwearied labours, 

both in public and private, of Dr. to stir 

up the people. But, on Saturday, many were 
under great apprehensions of what was to be 
done in the evening. He began preaching in 
the main street at the usual hour, but to more 
than twice the usual congregation. After he 
had spoken about a quarter of an hour, a 
clergyman, who had planted himself near him, 
with a very large stick in his hand, according 
to agreement, opened the scene. Indeed, his 
friends said, " He was in drink, or he would 
not have done it." But before he had uttered 
many words, two or three resolute women, by 
main strength, pulled him into a house, and, 
after expostulating a little, sent him away 
through the garden. 

The next champion that appeared, was one 
Mr. M., a young gentleman of the town. He 
was attended by two others, with pistols in 
their hands. But his triumph, too, was only 
short ; for some of the people quickly bore 
him away, though with much gentleness and 
civility. 

The third came on with far greater fury ; 
but he was encountered by a butcher of the 
town, (not one of the society,) who used him 
as he would an ox, bestowing a few hearty 
blows upon his head. This effectually cooled 
his courage, especially as no one took his part. 
So Mr. Wesley quietly finished his discourse. 

Sunday, 27. At eight in the morning, he 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 91 

was greatly favoured in Divine worship. And 
in the evening, a large multitude flocked to- 
gether : such a congregation was probably 
never before seen in Bandon ; and the fear of 
God was in the midst. A solemn awe seemed 
to run through the whole multitude, while he 
enlarged on, " God forbid that I should glory, 
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ /" 

Shortly after these riots in Cork, Butler went 
to Waterford, and raised disturbances in that 
city; but happening to quarrel with some who 
were as ready to shed blood as himself, he lost 
his right arm in the fray. Being thus disabled, 
the wretch dragged out the rest of his life in 
unpitied misery. His fellow rioters at Cork 
were intimidated by the soldiers in the garri- 
son, many of whom began now to attend the 
preaching. At length peace was restored ; 
and the next time Mr. Wesley visited that 
city, he preached without disturbance. A large 
church was soon after built, in which the 
people quietly assembled. 

There are few places where religion has 
prospered more than in Cork. " Being reviled 
for the name of Christ, the Spirit of glory and 
of God has rested upon them." And many have 
been the living and dying witnesses of the 
power of true religion. The principal inhabit- 
ants have long been convinced of the folly and 
wickedness of the authors and encouragers of 
those persecutions, and on a late visit the mayor 
invited Mr. Wesley to the mansion house, and 
seemed to consider his company as an honour. 



92 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

Mr. Wesley continued his labours without 
intermission. He generally preached three or 
four, and occasionally five, times in the day ; 
and often rode thirty or forty, and sometimes 
fifty, miles. Thus did he labour while he 
could ride on horseback ; and an instance 
could scarcely be found, during the space of 
forty years, wherein the severest weathei 
hindered him for one day ! 



CHAPTER VII. 

Mr, Wesley narrowly escapes death by an accident- 
Drunken mob at Shepton-Mallet — Dangerous illness 
— Writes his epitaph — Letter from Mr. Whiteficld — 
First, meeting for renewal of covenant — Great revival 
in London — Mr. Maxfield's schism — Mr. Wesley visits 
Scotland — Anecdote — Visits Holland — Sketch of Ame- 
rican Methodism— Letter from Mr. Pilmoor— Ordina- 
tion of Dr. Coke and others — Letter from Mr. Wesley 
— Visit to the Norman Isles. 

Mr. Wesley often experienced the interposi- 
tion of that Providence, without the notice of 
which not a sparrow falls to the ground. He 
mentions one which occurred in this year, 
(1750.) "I took horse," says he, "in Bris- 
tol for Wick, where I had appointed to preach 
at three in the afternoon. I was riding by the 
wall, through St. Nicholas' gate, just as a cart 
turned short from St. Nicholas-street, and camo 
swiftly down the hill. There was just room to 
pass between the wheel of it and the wall ; but 
that soace was taken up by the cartman. I 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 93 

called to him to go back, or I must ride over 
him. But the man, as if deaf, walked straight 
forward. This obliged me to hold back my 
horse. In the mean time the shaft of the cart 
came full against his shoulder with such a shock 
as beat him to the ground. He shot me over 
his head as an arrow out of a bow, where I 
lay with my arms and legs, I know not how, 
stretched out in a line close to the wall. The 
wheel ran close by my side, but only dirtied 
my clothes. I found no flutter of spirit, but 
the same composure as if I had been sitting in 
my study : when the cart was gone I rose. 
After cleaning a little I took horse again and 
was at Wick by the time appointed, I return- 
ed to Bristol (where the report of my being 
killed had spread far and wide) time enough to 
praise God in the great congregation, and to 
preach on ' Thou, Lord, shalt save both man 
and beast.' " 

An account of a second escape from great 
danger is given in his own words : " I rode to 
Shepton-Mallet, but found the people all under 
a strange consternation. A mob, they said, 
was hired, and made sufficiently drunk to do all 
manner of mischief. I began preaching be- 
tween four and five, and none hindered or in- 
terrupted at all. We had a blessed opportu- 
nity, and the hearts of many were exceedingly 
comforted. I wondered what was become of 
the mob. But we were quickly informed 
they mistook the place, imagining I should 
alight (as I used to do) at William Stone's 



94 LIFE OF KEV. JOHN WESLEY. 

house, and had summoned, by drum, all their 
forces together, to meet me at my coming. 
They did not find their mistake till I had done 
preaching. However, they attended us from 
the preaching house to Wm, Stone's, throwing 
dirt, stones, and clods in abundance, but they 
could not hurt us. 

" After we had gone into the house they oe- 
gan throwing large stones in order to break 
the door. But perceiving this would require 
some time, they dropped that design for the 
present, and poured in a shower of stones at 
the windows. One of their captains, in his 
great zeal, had followed us into the house, and 
was shut in with us. He did not like this, and 
would fain have got out, but this was not pos- 
sible. So he kept as close to me as possible, 
thinking himself safest when near me. But 
staying a little behind, (when I went up two 
flights of stairs and stood close on one side, 
where we were sheltered a little,) a large stone 
struck him on the forehead, and the blood 
spouted out like a stream. He cried out, < O, 
sir, are we to die to-night ? What must I do ? 
What must I do V I said, Pray to God. He 
is able to deliver you from all danger. He 
took my advice, and began praying, I believe, 
as he had scarce ever done before. 

" Mr. Swindells and I then went to prayer ; 
after which I told him, ' We must not stay here. 
We must go down immediately.' He said, 
1 Sir, we cannot stir ; you see how the stones 
fly about.' I walked straight through the room 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 95 

and down the stairs, and not a stone came in 
till we were at the bottom. The mob had just 
broken open the door when we came into the 
lower room; and while they burst in at one 
door we walked out at the other. Nor did any 
man take notice of us, although we were with- 
in five yards of each other. 

" They now filled the house at once, and pro. 
posed setting it on fire. But one of them re- 
membering that his own house was next, per- 
suaded them not to do it. Hearing one of 
them cry, 'They are gone over the grounds,' I 
thought the hint was good. So we went over 
the grounds to the farther end of the town, 
where one waited to guide us to Oakhill." In 
less than an hour they came safe to Oakhill. 

Returning from Cornwall, in August, he 
preached in the street in Shaftesbury : but no 
one made any noise or spoke one word while 
he called the "wicked to forsake his way" 
When he was returned to the house where he 
lodged, a constable came and said, "Sir, the 
mayor discharges you from preaching in this 
borough any more." Mr. Wesley replied, 
11 While King George gives me leave to preach, I 
shall not ask leave of the mayor of Shaftesbury." 

Mr. Wesley spent the remaining part of this 
year in London, Bristol, and the neighbouring 
places ; and in preparing books for the use of 
the children at Kingswood school. 

Believing that he could be more useful in a 
single state than in a married one, Mr. Wes- 
ley had hitherto preferred it. But now. hav- 



96 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

ing taken the advice of his friends, he entered 
into matrimony. His choice was then thought 
judicious, and his prospect of domestic enjoy- 
ment was fair. It was, however, soon darken- 
ed, and his marriage eventually proved to him 
a source of severe trial and suffering. His 
wife died in 1781. 

, Thus far Mr. Wesley had enjoyed excellent 
health. And considering his great and unin- 
terrupted labours, and exposures to every kind 
of weather day and night, for so long a period, 
this is remarkable ; and it is to be attributed to 
the goodness and providential care of Him who 
made his strength according to his day. In 
October, 1753, he was taken ill in London. In 
November he was advised by an eminent phy- 
sician, to leave town immediately ; and that if 
any thing would do him good, it must be coun- 
try air, rest, asses' milk, and riding daily. He 
accordingly retired to the house of a friend at 
Lewisham. Here, not knowing how it might 
please God to dispose of him, and wishing " to 
prevent vile panegyric," in case of death, he 
wrote the following taph : — 

HERE LIETH 

THE BODY OF JOHN WESLEY, 

A BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE BURNING I 

WHO DIED OF A CONSUMPTION, IN THE FIFTY-FIRST 

YEAR OF HIS AGE ; 

NOT LEAVING, AFTER HIS DEBTS ARE PAID, 

TEN POUNDS BEHIND HIM ; 

PRAYING, 

God be merciful to me, an unprofitable servant ! 

He ordered this inscription, if any, to be put 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 97 

upon his tomb stone. He subsequently re- 
moved from Lewisham to the Hot Wells, near 
Bristol, where it pleased God, in answer to 
the prayers of thousands, to renew his strength 
and to enable him again to declare the holy 
Gospel. This he did at first to a few hearers 
in his own apartments, in the evenings. He 
soon recovered, and resumed his labours. He 
was confined, in all, about four months. A 
part of this time he employed in writing his 
" Notes on the New Testament ;" a work he 
had long designed to undertake, but for which 
he could never before find time. He says, " I 
can now neither travel nor preach, but blessed 
be God, I can still read, think, and write. O 
that it may be to his glory !" While confined 
by this illness he received the following affec- 
tionate letter from Mr. Whitefield. It is dated 
Bristol, Dec. 3, 1753. 

"Rev. and Very Dear Sir, — If seeing 
you so weak when leaving London distressed 
me, the news and prospect of your approach- 
ing dissolution hath quite weighed me down. 
I pity myself and the Church, but not you. 
A radiant throne awaits you, and ere long you 
will enter into your Master's joy. Yonder he 
stands, with a massy crown, ready to put it 
on your head, amidst an admiring throng of 
saints and angels. But I, poor I, that have 
been waiting for my dissolution these nineteen 
years, must be left behind to grovel here 
below ! Well ! this is my comfort : it cannot 
be long ere the chariots will be sent even for 
7 



98 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

worthless me. If prayers can detain them, 
even you, reverend and very dear sir, shall 
not leave us yet. But if the decree is gone 
forth, that you must now fall asleep in Jesus, 
may he kiss your soul away, and give you to 
die in the embraces of triumphant love ! If in 
the land of the dying, I hope to pay my re- 
spects to you next week. If not, reverend and 
very dear sir, F-a-r-e-w-e-1-1 ! I shall follow, 
though not with equal steps. My heart is too 
big — tears trickle down too fast, and you are, 
I fear, too weak for me to enlarge. Underneath 
you may there be Christ's everlasting arms ! 
I commend you to his never failing mercy." 

A practice was now introduced by Mr. 
Wesley, which has since become general in 
the Wesleyan connection. His account of its 
introduction is thus given. 

" August 6, 1755. I mentioned to our con- 
gregation in London a means of increasing 
serious religion, which had been frequently 
practised by our forefathers ; the joining in a 
covenant to serve God with all our heart, and 
with all our soul. I explained this for several 
evenings following, and on Friday many of us 
kept a fast unto the Lord, beseeching him to 
give us wisdom and strength, that we might 
6 promise unto the Lord our God, and keep it.' 
On Monday, at six in the evening, we met 
for that purpose, at our chapel in Spitalfields. 
After I had recited the tenour of the covenant 
proposed in the words of that blessed man, 
Richard Alleine, all the people stood up, in 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 99 

token of their assent, to the number of about 
eighteen hundred. Such a night I scarce 
ever knew before. Surely the fruit of it shall 
remain for ever." 

In the year 1760 the city of London was 
- favoured with a great and powerful revival of 
religion : many hundreds were added to the 
societies, and the word of the Lord had " free 
course, ran, and was glorified." Mr. Max- 
field, who has been already mentioned, had 
been ordained by the bishop of Londonderry. 
He received Mr. Maxfield on Mr. Wesley's 
recommendation, saying, " Sir, I ordain you 
; to assist that good man, that he may not work 
, himself to death." For some years he did 
assist Mr. Wesley, and was very useful. At 
the commencement of this great revival, Mr. 
Maxfield was in London. For a time he 
i laboured in concert with Mr. Wesley and the 
other preachers. But this did not long con- 
tinue. 

The adversary of souls now perverted the 
right ways of the Lord, and Antinomianism 
reared its head. A number of the members 
of the society were taken in the snares of the 
devil, and honoured dreams, visions, and pri- 
vate revelations, more than the written word. 
Some of these eventually became ranting en- 
i thusiasts. Soon a division took place, and 
| about one hundred and seventy-five persons, 
1 with Mr. Maxfield at their head, left the so- 
ciety, and established a separate meeting. It 
should be remarked that Mr. Maxfield was the 



100 LIFE OF REV, JOHN WESLEY. 

first lay preacher raised up to assist Mr. Wes- 
ley, and this division was the first that hap. 
pened in the Methodist societies. Of those 
who now separated, by far the greater part 
eventually returned to Mr. Wesley's connec- 
tion. 

But neither this separation, nor the extrava- 
gance and error which led to it, stopped the 
work of reformation. It continued in differ- 
ent parts of England as well as in London, and 
immense crowds flocked to hear the word of 
God, and to many it was " the 'power of God to 
salvation" 

Several years before this Mr. Wesley had 
visited Scotland. Although he differed in 
sentiment on several points from the Scottish 
clergy, yet they received him with cordial 
Christian affection, and gave him the use of 
their pulpits. Societies were formed and pros- 
pered, in several places ; and some of the 
preachers in connection with him laboured 
regularly and successfully among them. In 
1761 he visited Scotland again. At Aberdeen, 
the seat of the university, he preached first in 
the college close, and then in the hall, which 
was crowded at five in the morning! The 
following circumstance occurred at this place : 
" May 4. About noon," he says, " I took a 
walk to the king's college, in Old Aberdeen. 
Going up to see the hall we found a large 
company of ladies with several gentlemen. 
They looked, and spoke to one another ; after 
which, one of the gentlemen took courage and 






LIFE OF REV, JOHN WESLEY. 101 

came to me. He said, i We came to the college 
close last night, but could not hear ; and should 
be extremely obliged if you would give us a 
short discourse here.' I knew not what God 
might have to do, and so began without delay, 
on, 6 God was in Christ reconciling the world 
unto himself.' I believe the word was not lost. 
It fell like dew on the tender grass." 

How widely different was Mr. Wesley's 
reception in Scotland, from the treatment he 
received in most places in England and Ire- 
land! In his journeys through Scotland, he 
every where met with the most flattering marks 
of respect from the nobility, many of the cler- 
gy, and the magistrates of cities in their offi- 
cial capacities. In April of this year, 1772, 
being on his biennial visit, he came to Perth, 
where the magistrates, in token of respectful 
regard for him, presented him with the freedom 
of their city, with an elegant copperplate 
diploma. 

Neither Mr. Wesley, the preachers, nor the 
societies, met any thing like the opposition 
which they had elsewhere; yet, owing to the 
deep-rooted prejudices of the Scotch nation 
in favour of their own religious opinions and 
mode of worship, their success was compara- 
tively small. Notwithstanding the peculiar- 
ities of the people, the work of God prospered, 
and many in different places were brought to 
the knowledge and love of God. But Satan 
was not idle. He made a good man the occa- 
sion of very great evil. Mr. Hervey, who was 



102 LIFE OF BEV. JOHN WESLEY. 

a pupil of Mr. Wesley at Oxford, and one of 
the first Methodists, was persuaded by an An- 
tinomian teacher, to write a pamphlet against 
Mr. Wesley. This pamphlet was unpublished 
at the time of Mr. Hervey's death, but con- 
trary to his express command when on his 
death bed, his executor gave it to the world, 
boasting, also, that he had been authorized " to 
put out and put in what he pleased." It caused 
a flood of calumny, and did great mischief. 

Mr. Wesley now saw the religious societies 
which he had been the honoured instrument 
in forming, spreading and enlarging on every 
side ; and the preachers increasing in equal 
proportion. He felt, consequently, an in- 
creasing solicitude to provide for their unity 
and permanency after his decease ; wishing at 
the same time to preserve the original doc- 
trines and economy of the Methodists. He 
had now attained a good old age, having lived 
nearly " threescore and ten" years, and re- 
garded the time as near when he should cease 
to go out and come in among his people. 
From the beginning he had stood at the head 
of the connection, and by general consent had 
acted as a father in matters relating to the 
government of the societies. In January of 
1773, he wrote to the Rev. John Fletcher, of 
Madeley, a distinguished and most devoted and 
holy clergyman, whom of all men he thought 
the most suitable to fill his place, when the 
Lard should remove him. But although deeply 
interested in the welfare of the Methodist so- 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 103 

cieties, Mr. Fletcher declined accepting the 
pressing invitation that Mr. Wesley had given 
him, in which the preachers also had concurred, 
and desired to have renewed. This eminently 
pious man died in 1785. 

Mr. Wesley was now far advanced in life, 
yet he found his health and strength undimi- 
nished. He, therefore, continued his labours 
and travels with the same assiduity as at the 
beginning. In June, 1774, when he entered 
on his seventy-second year, he makes these 
observations: "This being my birthday, the 
first day of my seventy-second year, I was 
considering, how is this, that I find just the 
same strength as I did thirty years ago ? That 
my sight is considerably better, and my nerves 
firmer than they were then? That I have 
none of the infirmities of age, and have lost 
several that I had in my youth ? The grand 
cause is, the good pleasure of God, who doeth 
whatsoever pleaseth him. The chief means 
are, 1. My rising constantly at four, for about 
fifty years. 2. My generally preaching at five 
in the morning, one of the healthiest exercises 
in the world. 3. My never travelling less, by 
sea and land, than four thousand five hundred 
miles in a year." 

The following anecdote illustrates Mr. Wes- 
ley's character. An order had been made in 
the house of lords, in May of this year, (1776,) 
directing the commissioners of excise to write 
circular letters to all persons whom they sus- 
pected to have plate, and also to such persons 



104 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

as had not regularly paid the duty. A copy 
of the order was sent to Mr. Wesley, with the 
following letter : — 

" Rev. Sir, — As the commissioners can- 
not doubt but you have plate for which you 
have hitherto neglected to make an entry, they 
have directed me to send you the above copy 
of the lords' order, and to inform you they ex- 
pect that you forthwith make due entry of all 
your plate ; such entry to bear date from the 
commencement of the plate duty, or from such 
time as you have owned, used, had, or kept, any 
quantity of silver plate, chargeable by the act 
of parliament ; as in default hereof the board 
will be obliged to signify your refusal to their 
lordships. 

" N. B. An immediate answer is desired." 

Mr. Wesley returned the following answer : 

" Sir, — I have two silver teaspoons at Lon- 
don and two at Bristol. This is all the plate 
which I have at present : and I shall not buy 
any more while so many round me want bread. 

" I am, sir, your most humble servant, 

"John Wesley." 

Until November 1778, the London society had 
occupied the old Foundry as a place of wor- 
ship. But the new chapel in City-Road hav- 
ing been finished, it was opened for public 
worship on the 1st of November of that year. 
Mr. Wesley preached on the occasion, from a 
part of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of 
the temple. 

Some Christians in Holland becoming ac 






LIFE OF BEV. JOHN WESLEY. 105 

quainted with his character by report, and 
having read his writings, expressed their 
earnest desires to see him among them. He 
accordingly made them a visit in June, 1783. 
He was received with great respect by all the 
people, and was favoured with the company 
of many eminent ministers of the Church of 
Holland, as well as of the English clergymen 
in the commercial towns. At the Hague, 
being in company with some of the first rank 
in the place, but who were professed followers 
of the Saviour, he expounded the first three 
verses of the thirteenth chapter of the first 
epistle to the Corinthians. On his w T ay from 
Haerlem to Amsterdam, he met with several 
fellow passengers who were truly pious. With 
these his heart was so united in Christian love, 
that their parting at Amsterdam was quite 
affecting. 

June 28th he made the following remarks : — 
" I have this day lived fourscore years, and, 
by the mercy of God, my eyes are not waxed 
dim : and what little strength of body or mind 
I had thirty years ago, just the same I have 
now. God grant that I may never live to be 
useless. Rather may I 

My body with my charge lay down, 
And cease at once to work and live." 

July 1st, he sailed for England. He observes 
that the persons with whom he conversed in 
Holland, were of the same spirit as his friends 
in England, and that he was as much at home 



106 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

in Utrecht, or Amsterdam, as in London or 
Bristol. In 1786 he visited Holland again, 
and met with the same attention and respect 
as formerly. In visiting Holland he had no 
intention to form societies. He desired relaxa- 
tion from his great care and labour ; and also 
to indulge and enlarge his catholic spirit, by 
forming acquaintance with the truly pious in 
foreign countries. He often reflected with 
great satisfaction on the sameness of true re- 
ligion in every country. He also knew that 
genuine piety always tends to promote union 
and brotherly love. 

It has been already observed that Mr. Wes- 
ley sustained a most important relation to the 
Methodist societies. Being now " old and full 
of years," it was evident to all that he could 
not long discharge the various and important 
duties connected with his station. Many 
feared that on his decease the connection 
would be dissolved, and hence were anxious 
that he should make some provision for their 
union and permanency after his death. With 
this object in view he gave the invitation to 
Mr. Fletcher, before mentioned. A great and 
desirable object to be gained in order to the 
unity and prosperity of the societies, was the 
securing to the people a ministry of the same 
character with that under which they had 
lived so long and so happily. And in order to 
this, it was necessary to secure for their use 
the numerous chapels which had been built for 
them in different parts of the kingdom. This 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 107 

important design he accomplished in 1784, by 
what is called the " deed of declaration." By 
virtue of the regulations and provisions of this 
instrument, the chapels are secured for the 
purposes for which they were built. 

Nearly thirty years before Mr. Wesley's 
death, several members of his societies in Eng- 
land and Ireland had emigrated to America, 
and settled in various parts of the colonies. 
In the year 1766, Philip Embury, a local 
preacher from Ireland, began to preach in 
New-York. At first he used for this purpose 
a small room in his own house. His own 
family constituted the majority of his congre- 
gation at his first meeting. The congrega- 
tion soon increased, and to accommodate the 
numbers who attended, a rigging loft was 
rented : this soon became too small to contain 
the hearers. A society was organized by Mr. 
Embury, which embraced a few of his country- 
men and some of the citizens. About the 
same time Robert Strawbridge, another local 
preacher from Ireland, settled in Frederick 
county, Maryland, where he preached, and 
formed some societies. Capt. Webb, who had 
been a member of the Methodist society in 
England, and was then an officer in the 
British army, visited New-York, Long Island, 
and Philadelphia, and preached with great 
success. 

Mr. Wesley having been earnestly solicited 
to send over assistance, accordingly designated 
Mr. Richard Boardman and Mr. Joseph Pu- 



10$ LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

moor, as missionaries to America. They 
landed in Philadelphia in 1769, and were the 
first regular itinerant preachers in connection 
with Mr. Wesley in America. 

A few days after their landing, Mr. Pilmoor 
wrote a letter to Mr. Wesley, of which the 
following is an extract : — 

"Philadelphia, Oct. 31, 1769. 

" Reverend Sir, — -By the blessing of God, 
we are safe arrived here, after a tedious pas- 
sage of nine weeks. We were not a little sur- 
prised to find Capt. Webb in town, and a 
society of about a hundred members, who de- 
sire to be in close connection with you. 6 This 
is the Lord's doings, and it is marvellous in our 
eyes.' 

" I have preached several times, and the peo- 
ple flock to hear in multitudes. Sunday even- 
ing I went out upon the common. I had the 
stage, appointed for the horse race, for my 
pulpit; and I think, between four and five 
thousand hearers, who heard with attention 
still as night. Blessed be God for field preach- 
ing ! When I began to talk of preaching at 
five o'clock in the morning, the people thought 
it would not answer in America : however, I 
resolved to try, and had a very good congre- 
gation. 

" There seems to be a great and effectual 
door opening in this country, and I hope 
many souls will be gathered in." 

Mr. Boardman observes, in a letter to Mr. 
Wesley from New-York, dated April 24, 1770, 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 109 

" Our house contains about seventeen hundred 
hearers. About a third part of those who 
attend preaching, get in ; the rest are glad to 
hear without. There appears such a willing- 
ness in the Americans to hear the word, as I 
never saw before. They have no preaching 
in some parts of the back settlements. I doubt 
not, but an effectual door will be opened among 
them. O may the Most High now give his 
Son the heathen for his inheritance. The 
number of blacks that attend the preaching, 
affects me much." 

The first Methodist church in America was 
erected in New-York, in 1769. It occupied 
the site on which the John-street church now 
stands. 

The labours of these servants of God were 
instrumental in turning many from darkness 
to light, in New-York, Philadelphia, and in 
various parts of Maryland, Virginia, and North 
Carolina. Near the close of the year 1771, 
Mr. Wesley sent over Mr. Francis Asbury, 
and Mr. Richard Wright, to assist the former 
missionaries. In 1773, Messrs. Thomas Ran- 
kin and George Shadford came to America as 
missionaries. The first conference held in 
America, met at Philadelphia, in July, 1773. 
At that time there were ten travelling preach- 
ers, and 1,160 members in society. 

Soon after this, the revolutionary war com- 
menced, and all the English missionaries 
returned to England before the conference of 
1778, with the exception of Mr. Francis Asbu- 



110 LIFE OF KEV. JOHN WESLEY. 

ry, who had maintained a prudent neutrality, 
as a Gospel minister of one work, and contin- 
ued in the country till his death. 

During the revolutionary struggle, those 
preachers who continued in the work of their 
Master, were prospered, so that at the tenth 
annual conference, held in 1783, the number 
of preachers was 83. The members in society 
were 13,740. 

The societies had hitherto received the sa- 
craments from the ministers of the Church of 
England, of which they considered themselves 
members. But during the revolution these 
had nearly all left the country : so that, with 
very few exceptions, the societies were desti- 
tude of the sacraments ; their own preachers 
being unordained. This state of things gave 
great uneasiness to the people, and of course 
to the preachers, some of whom made several 
unsuccessful attempts to remedy the evils 
under which they laboured. 

Upon the establishment of peace between 
England and America, Mr. Asbury gave Mr. 
Wesley a full account of the progress of the 
work during the war, the difficulties which 
had attended it, the present state of the socie- 
ties, and particularly their uneasiness for want 
of the ordinances. 

After deliberating on this weighty subject 
for more than a year, and having taken advice, 
Mr. Wesley felt himself authorized by the 
usages of the primitive Church, and the exi- 
gencies of the societies in America, to ordain 






LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. Ill 

ministers for them. In September, 1784, he 
accordingly, with the assistance of two other 
clergymen of the Church of England, ordained 
Messrs. Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, 
as presbyters, and also set apart Thomas Coke, 
Doctor of Laws and a presbyter of the Church 
of England, as a general superintendent of the 
American societies. 

Dr. Coke was the bearer of the following 
letter from Mr. Wesley, which was to be print- 
ed and circulated in this country : — 

To Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and our brethren in 
North America. 

Bristol, September 10, 1784. 

By a very uncommon train of providences, 
many of the provinces of North America are 
totally disjoined from their mother country, 
and erected into independent states. The 
English government has no authority over 
them, either civil or ecclesiastical, any more 
than over the states of Holland. A civil au- 
thority is exercised over them, partly by the 
Congress, partly by the provincial assemblies. 
But no one either exercises or claims any 
ecclesiastical authority at all. In this pecu- 
liar situation, some thousands of the inhabit- 
ants of these states desire my advice ; and in 
compliance with their desire, I have drawn up 
a little sketch. 

Lord King's account of the primitive Church 
convinced me, many years ago, that bishops 
and presbyters are the same order, and conse- 



112 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

quently have the same right to ordain. For 
many years I have been importuned, from time 
at time, to exercise this right, by ordaining 
part of our travelling preachers. But I still 
refused, not only for peace sake, but because I 
was determined, as little as possible, to violate 
the established order of the national Church 
to which I belonged. 

But the case is widely different between 
England and North America. Here there 
are bishops who have a legal jurisdiction. In 
America there are none, neither any parish 
ministers. So that, for some hundreds of 
miles together, there is none either to baptize 
or to administer the Lord's Supper. Here, 
therefore, my scruples are at an end; and 
I conceive myself at full liberty, as I violate 
no order, and invade no man's right, by ap- 
pointing and sending labourers into the har- 
vest. 

I have accordingly appointed Dr. Coke and 
Mr. Francis Asbury to be joint superintendents 
over our brethren in North America ; as also 
Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, to act 
as elders among them, by baptizing and ad- 
ministering the Lord's Supper. And I have 
prepared a liturgy, little differing from that of 
the Church of England, (I think the best con- 
stituted national Church in the world,) which I 
advise all the travelling preachers to use on 
the Lord's day, in all the congregations, read- 
ing the liturgy only on Wednesdays and 
Fridays, and praying extempore on all other 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 113 

days. I also advise the elders to administer 
the Supper of the Lord on every Lord's day. 

If any one will point out a more rational 
and Scriptural way of feeding and guiding 
those poor sheep in the wilderness, I will glad- 
ly accept it. At present, I cannot see any 
better method than I have taken. 

It has, indeed, been proposed to desire the 
English bishops to ordain part of our preachers 
for America. But to this I object: 1. I desired 
the bishop of London to ordain only one, but 
could not prevail. 2. If they consented, we 
know the slowness of their proceedings ; but 
the matter admits of no delay. 3. If they 
would ordain them now, they would likewise 
expect to govern them. — And how grievously 
would this entangle us ? 4. As our American 
brethren are now totally disentangled, both 
from the state and from the English hierarchy, 
we dare not entangle them again either with the 
one or the other. They are now at full liberty 
simply to follow the Scriptures and the primi- 
tive Church. And we judge it best, that they 
should stand fast in that liberty wherewith 
God has so strangely made them free. 

John Wesley. 

On the arrival of Dr. Coke, in December, 
a conference was called, and met in Baltimore. 
Dr. Coke was cordially received, and his au- 
thority was fully acknowledged. Mr. Francis 
Asbury was unanimously elected joint superin- 
tendent, and was ordained by Dr. Coke, assist- 
ed by other ministers. A number of the 
8 



114 LIFE OF KEV. JOHN WESLEY. 

preachers were also elected to deacons 1 and 
elders' orders, and were ordained. The socie- 
ties were constituted an independent Church, 
and adopting the form of government thus in- 
stituted by Mr. Wesley, assumed the appella- 
tion of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
This was done during the last days of De- 
cember, 1784. 

From this interesting and important era in 
the history of Methodism in America, prosper- 
ity has attended us. The work has continued 
" to win its widening way." The numbers in 
our societies at present, (1836,) exceed 650,000, 
The whole number of itinerant ministers is 
2,608 : beside these there is a large and re- 
spectable body of local preachers, and all are 
under the general supervision of six bishops. 
Their field of pastoral labour is spread over all 
the United States and Territories, and embraces 
also several important and interesting missions 
among the Indians and the blacks of the southern 
states. There is also a distinct ecclesiastical 
body, in friendly relations, in Upper Canada, 
under the title of the Wesleyan Methodist 
Church. " What hath God wrought." To him 
be all the glory ! 

On the 6th of August, 1787, Mr. Wesley, 
with Dr. Coke, and Mr. Bradford, set off from 
Manchester, to visit the French islands in St. 
Michael's bay, on the coast of Normandy. The 
Gospel had been previously introduced by 
preachers in connection with Mr. Wesley, and 
several flourishing societies were formed in the 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 115 

different islands. On the 11th, they sailed 
from Southampton; but contrary winds and 
stormy weather obliged them to fly for refuge, 
first into the port of Yarmouth, in the Isle of 
Wight, and afterward into that of Swanage. 
On the 14th, they expected to reach the isle 
of Guernsey, in the afternoon; but the wind 
turning contrary, and blowing hard, they were 
obliged to sail for Alderney. But they were 
very near being shipwrecked in the bay ; being 
in the midst of rocks, with the sea rippling all 
around them, the wind having totally failed. 
In this hour of extremity they had recourse to 
prayer, and the wind sprung up instantly, and 
about sunset brought them into the port of 
Alderney. 

At eight the next morning, Mr. Wesley 
preached on the beach, near the place where 
he lodged ; and before his hymn was ended, he 
had a tolerable congregation. Soon after he 
had concluded, the governor of the island wait- 
ed upon him with very great courtesy. After 
which, he with his company sailed for Guern- 
sey. 

On his arrival, he went into the country, to 
the house of Mr. De Jersey, a gentleman of 
fortune, whose whole family had been convert- 
ed to God. At five the following morning he 
preached in a large room of Mr. De Jersey's, 
to a very serious congregation ; and in the 
evening, to a crowded audience in the preach- 
ing house in the town of St. Peter. On the 
20th he sailed for the isle of Jersey. Mr. 



116 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

Brackenbury, a wealthy gentleman from Eng- 
land, who was now labouring here under Mr. 
Wesley's direction, received him on his arrival, 
and in his house he frequently preached to ex- 
ceedingly serious congregations. " Even the 
gentry," observes Mr. Wesley, speaking of his 
visit to this island, "heard with deep attention. 
What little things does God use to advance his 
own glory !" " Probably,'' he continues, "many 
of these flock together, because I have lived so 
many years ! And, perhaps, even this may be 
the means of their living for ever!" In the 
country, he preached in English, Mr. Bracken- 
bury interpreting, sentence by sentence ; and 
even in this inconvenient way of speaking, God 
owned his word. Being detained a considerable 
time by contrary winds, the assembly room was 
offered him, in which he preached to very large 
congregations, and to the profit of many. 

On the 29th, the wind still continuing con- 
trary, he returned to the isle of Guernsey; 
where the winds, or rather a kind Providence, 
detained him till the 6th of September. Hardly 
a gentleman or lady in the town of St. Peter 
omitted a single opportunity of attending his 
ministry. So universal an attendance of the 
rich and the gay, he never before experienced. 
During this visit he was favoured with singular 
powers of elocution ; and delivered a series of 
discourses, peculiarly suited to his hearers. 
On the 7th he landed in England. 






LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 117 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Extracts from Mr. Wesley's journals — Habits in ad- 
vanced life — Last sermon — Sickness and death — In- 
scription on his tomb-stone — Personal appearance- 
Character by several persons. 

Mr. Wesley was a wonder to many during 
the latter years of his life. Although upward 
of eighty years of age, he persevered in daily 
labours, from which even the young would 
shrink as from an intolerable burden. He con- 
tinued to rise regularly at four in the morning ; 
travelled often from thirty to seventy miles a 
day, and preached daily from two to five ser- 
mons, beside reading, writing, visiting the sick, 
conversing with his friends, and superintending 
the societies wherever he came ; and yet in all 
this labour and care, he appeared a stranger to 
weariness of either body or mind. 

He generally spent the winters in London 
and its vicinity, and usually left it to begin his 
spring journeys the last week in February. In 
February, 1788, being in his eighty-fifth year, 
he observes, " I took a solemn leave of the con- 
gregation in West-street, by applying once 
more what I had enforced for fifty years^ ' By 
grace are ye saved through faith.' The next 
day we had a very numerous congregation at 
the new chapel, to whom I declared, in the 
words of St. Paul, * the whole counsel of God.' 
I seemed now to have finished my work in 
London. If I see it again, well : if not, I pray 



118 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 

God to raise up others who will be more faith- 
ful and more successful in his work." 

June 28, 1788, he observes, "I this day en- 
ter on my eighty-sixth year, and what cause 
have I to praise God, as for a thousand spirit- 
ual blessings, so for bodily blessings also ! How 
little have I suffered yet by the ' rush of numer- 
ous years!' It is true I am not so agile as I 
was in times past. I do not walk or run so 
fast as I did. My sight is a little decayed. I 
find some decay in my memory, with regard to 
names, and things lately past. I find no decay 
in my hearing, smell, taste, or appetite ; nor do 
I feel any such thing as weariness in travelling 
or preaching. To what cause can I impute 
this, that I am as I am? First, doubtless, to 
the power of God, fitting me for the work to 
which I am called, as long as he pleases to 
continue me therein ; and next, subordinately 
to this, — to the prayers of his children." 
Among the inferior means, he notices, constant 
exercise and change of air, regular sleep and 
early rising, preaching in the morning, and the 
general absence of pain, sorrow, or anxious 
care. 

Contrary to the advice of many of his friends, 
he made his usual journey to Ireland, in the 
spring of 1789, preaching and meeting the so- 
cieties in his usual manner. While on this 
journey, he was attacked by a complaint en- 
tirely new to him; he subsequently obtained 
relief, but the disease continued till his death. 

Being in Dublin on his birth-day, he rehiarks, 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 119 

"I this day enter on my eighty-seventh year. 
I now find I grow old. My sight is decayed 
so that I cannot read small print except in 
strong light. My strength is decayed so that 
I walk slower than I did. My memory is de- 
cayed." On the first day of the following year, 
(1790,) he observes, "I am now an old man, 
decayed from head to foot. My eyes are dim : 
my right hand shakes much : I have a linger- 
ing fever almost every day. My motion is 
weak and slow. However, blessed be God, I 
do not slack my labour. I can preach and 
write still." 

Even at this advanced age, he rose at his 
usual hour and went through the many duties 
of the day without complaint, and with a reso- 
lution that was truly astonishing. He would 
omit none of his religious duties or labours. 
Herein he would listen to no advice. His al- 
most continual prayer was, " Lord, let me not 
live to be useless." At every place, after giving 
the societies what he wished them to consider 
as his last advice, " To love as brethren, fear 
God. and honour the king," — he invariably 
concluded with this verse, 

" O that without a lingering groan 
I may the welcome word receive, 
My body with my charge lay down, 
And cease at once to work and live !" 

He went on in this manner until the usual 
time of his leaving London approached. De- 
termined not to relax, he sent his horses and 
chaise before him to Bristol, and took seats for 



120 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

himself and his friend in the Bath coach. But 
the vigorous mind could no longer support the 
body. It sunk, though by slow and impercept- 
ible degrees. 

February 17, 1791, he preached at Lambeth. 
On his return home he appeared unwell. Be- 
ing asked how he did, he said he believed he 
had caught cold. 

Friday, 18, he read, and wrote, and preached 
at Chelsea in the evening. 

Saturday, 19, his fever and weakness ap- 
peared evidently increasing; yet he filled up 
most of his time with reading and writing. 

Sunday, 20, he rose at his usual hour; but 
utterly unfit for his Sabbath day's exercises. 
He slept a considerable part of the day. 

On Monday, the 21st, he seemed much better, 
and kept an engagement to dine at Twicken- 
ham. On returning home he seemed still better. 
Tuesday he went on with his usual work, and 
preached in the evening at the City-Road 
chapel. 

On Wednesday he went to Leatherhead, and 
preached on, "Seek ye the Lord while he may 
be found; call ye upon him while he is near" 
Isaiah lv, 6. Here ended the ministerial la - 
bours of this man of God. 

On Thursday he appeared cheerful, and wa° 
nearly as well as usual till Friday morning, 
when he grew very heavy. He returned home, 
and soon retired to bed with a quick pulse and 
burning fever. Saturday he continued much 
the same ; spoke but little, and dozed most of 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 121 

the day. On Sunday morning he appeared 
much better, and was assisted out of bed. 
While sitting in his chair he looked very cheer- 
ful, and repeated, 

* { Till glad I lay this body down, 
Thy servant, Lord, attend ; 
And O ! my life of mercy crown 
With a triumphant end!" 

While some of his friends prayed with him, 
his whole soul seemed engaged with God for 
an answer, and he added a hearty Amen. 
About half an hour after two, he said, " There 
is no need for more than what I said at Bris- 
tol. My words then were, 

* I the chief of sinners am, 
But Jesus died for me !' " 

Here he alluded to a dangerous illness with 
which he was seized at Bristol, in 1783, at 
which time he expected a sudden death. He 
then said, " I have been reflecting on my past 
life, — what have I to trust to for salvation? 
I can see nothing which I have done, or suf- 
fered, that will bear looking at. I have no 
other plea than this, 

* I the chief of sinners am, 
But Jesus died for me.' 

One now said, " Is this the present language 
of your heart, and do you now feel as you 
then did?" He replied, "Yes." When the 
same person repeated, 

" Bold I approach th' eternal throne, 
And claim the crown through Christ my own," 



122 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

and added, " 'Tis enough: he, our precious 
Emmanuel, has purchased, has promised all ;" 
he earnestly replied, " He is all ! He is all ! 
I will go." In the evening he said, "How 
necessary it is for every one to be on the 
right foundation ! 

* I the chief of sinners am, 
But Jesus died for me.' 

We must be justified by faith, and then go on 
to full sanctification." On inquiring what were 
the words of a text on which he had recently 
preached, he was told they were these: " Ye 
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
though he was rich, yet for your sokes he be- 
came poor, that ye through his poverty might 
be rich" He replied, " That is the foundation, 
the only foundation. There is no other." 

Tuesday, March 1. After a very restless 
night, in the morning he began singing, 
" All glory to God in the sky, 
And peace upon earth be restored !" 

and having sung two stanzas, his strength 
failed; after lying a while, he asked for a pen 
and ink. On having the pen put into his hand 
he could not use it. Some time after, he said, 
" I want to write," but upon trial said, " I 
cannot." One present said, " Let me write 
for you, sir, — tell me what you would say." 
He replied, " Nothing, but that God is with us." 
In the forenoon, while preparing for him to 
rise, he sung with a strength that surprised all 
present, two verses of the hymn which com- 
mences with these words, — 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 123 

" I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, 
And when my voice is lost in death, 
Praise shall employ my nobler powers." 

"When removed to his chair, he appeared to 
change for death; but regardless of his dying 
frame, he said with a weak voice, " Lord, 
thou givest strength to those who can speak, 
and to those who cannot. Speak, Lord, to 
all our hearts, and let them know that thou 
loosest the tongue." He then sung, 

" To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
Who sweetly all agree." 

Here his voice failed, and after gasping for 
breath, he said, " Now we have done, — let us 
all go." He was then laid on the bed, from 
■which he rose no more. After a little sleep, 
he desired those present to pray and praise. 
They knelt down, and the room seemed full of 
the Divine presence. He then gave some 
orders respecting his funeral and burial, — and 
afterward again begged they would pray and 
praise. At this time his whole soul entered 
into their devotional exercises. On rising 
from their knees, he took all their hands, and 
-with the utmost calmness, bade each, "Fare- 
well! Farewell!" 

Afterward, attempting in vain to make him- 
self understood when he spoke, he paused a 
little, and cried with all his remaining strength, 
" The best of all is, God is with us." And 
then lifting his dying arm in token of victory, 
and raising his feeble voice with a holy tri- 



124 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

umph not to be expressed, he again cried, 
" The best of all is, God is with us." 

On having his lips wetted he repeated these 
words, (his constant thanksgiving after meals,) 
"We thank thee, O Lord, for all these thy 
mercies : bless the Church and king ; and grant 
us truth and peace, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord, for ever and ever !" 

At another time he said, "He causeth his 
servants to lie down in peace." " The clouds 
drop fatness." " The Lord is with us, — the 
God of Jacob is our refuge." After prayers, 
in which he heartily engaged, he often at- 
tempted to repeat the hymn before mentioned, 
but could only utter, 

" I'll praise I 'll praise—" 

On Wednesday morning the closing scene 
drew near. Mr. Bradford, his faithful friend, 
prayed with him, and the last word he was 
heard to articulate was, " Farewell !" A few 
moments before ten, while a few of his friends 
were kneeling round his bed, without a lin- 
gering groan, this man of God, this beloved 
pastor of thousands, entered into the joy of his 
Lord. 

His remains were deposited in a vault which 
he had some years before caused to be pre- 
pared for himself and for those itinerant 
preachers who should die in London. The 
loud sighs which were heard, and the many tears 
shed, evidenced the strong attachment and sin- 
cere grief of his friends. 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 125 

His tomb-stone bears the following inscrip- 
tion : — 

To the Memory of 
THE VENERABLE JOHN WESLEY, A.M. 

Late fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford. 

This great light arose, 

(By the singular providence of God,) 

To enlighten these nations, 

And to revive, enforce, and defend, 

The pure apostolical doctrines and practices 

of the primitive Church : 

Which he continued to do, by his writings and his labours, 

For more than half a century : 

And to his inexpressible joy, 

Not only beheld their influence extending, 

And their efficacy witnessed 

In the hearts and lives of many thousands, 

As well in the Western World as in these kingdoms : 

But also, far above all human power or expectation, lived to see 

provision made, by the singular grace of God, 

For their continuance and establishment, 

To the joy of future generations ! 

Reader, if thou art constrained to bless the instrument, 

Give God the glory ! 

After having languished a few days, he at length finished his 

course and his life together ; 

Gloriously triumphing over death, 

March 2, An. Dom. 1791, 
In the eighty-eighth year of his age. 

Although his body has long since mouldered 
to dust, it will no doubt be interesting to learn 
what was his personal appearance. The figure 
of Mr. Wesley was remarkable. His stature 
was low : his habit of body, in every period of 
life, the reverse of corpulent, and expressive of 
strict temperance and continual exercise ; and, 
notwithstanding his small size, his step was 
firm ; his appearance, till within a few years of 
his death, vigorous and muscular. His face, 



126 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

for an old man, was one of the finest we have 
seen. A clear smooth forehead; an aqualine 
nose ; an eye, the brightest and most piercing 
that can be conceived ; and a freshness of com- 
plexion, scarcely ever to be found at his years, 
and impressive of the most perfect health, con- 
spired to render him a venerable and interest- 
ing figure. Few have seen him without being 
struck with his appearance; and many, who 
have been greatly prejudiced against him, have 
been known to change their opinion the mo- 
ment they had been introduced into his pre- 
sence. In his countenance and demeanour 
there was a cheerfulness, mingled with gravity ;_ 
a sprightliness, which was the natural result of 
an unusual flow of spirits, and yet was accom- 
panied with every mark of the most serene 
tranquillity. His aspect, particularly in pro- 
file, had a strong character of acuteness and 
penetration. 

In dress he was a pattern of neatness and 
simplicity: a narrow plaited stock; a coat 
with a small upright collar ; no buckles at his 
knees ; no silk or velvet in any part of his ap- 
parel ; and a head white as snow, — give an idea 
of something primitive and apostolic ; while 
an air of neatness and cleanliness was diffused 
over his whole person. 

Dr. Whitehead, in his Life of Wesley, gives 
the following view of his character, which with 
some notices by others who were personally 
acquainted with him, will close this memoir.— 

" Some persons have affected to insinuate that 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 127 

Mr. Wesley was a man of slender capacity ; 
but certainly with great injustice. His ap- 
prehension was clear, his penetration quick, 
and his judgment discriminative and sound ; 
of which his controversial writings, and his 
celebrity in the stations he held at Oxford, 
when young, are sufficient proofs. In govern- 
ing a large body of preachers and people of 
various habits, interests, and principles, with 
astonishing calmness and regularity for many 
years, he showed a strong and capacious 
mind, that could comprehend and combine 
together a vast variety of circumstances, and 
direct their influence through the great body 
he governed. He was a critic in the Latin 
and Greek classics ; and was well acquainted 
with the Hebrew, and with several modern 
tongues. But the Greek was his favourite lan- 
guage, in which his knowledge was extensive 
and accurate. At college he had studied 
Euclid, Keil, Sir Isaac Newton's Optics, &c. ; 
but he never entered far into the more abstruse 
parts, or the higher branches of the mathema- 
tics ; finding they would fascinate his mind, 
absorb his attention, and divert him from the 
pursuit of the more important objects of his 
own profession. 

Natural history was a field in which he 
walked at every opportunity, and contemplated 
with infinite pleasure the wisdom, the power, 
and the goodness of God in the structure of 
natural bodies, and in the various habits and 
instincts of the animal creation. But he was 



128 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

obliged to view these wonderful works of God 
in the labours and records of others ; his vari- 
ous ami continual employments of a higher 
nature not permitting him to make experi- 
ments and observations tor himself. 

Asa writer, i\lr. Wesley certainly possessed 
talents sufficient to procure him considerable 
reputation. But he did not write for fame ; 
his object was chiefly to instruct and benefit 
that numerous class of people who have little 
learning) little money, and but little time to 
spare for reading. In all his writings he con- 
stantly kept these circumstances in view. 
Content with doing good, he used no trappings 
merely to please or to gain applause. He 
never lost sight of the rule which Horace 
gives, 

" Concise your diction, lot your sense bo clear, 
Nor with a weight of words fatigue the ear." 

In all his writings his words are well chosen, 
pure, proper to his subject, and precise in their 
meaning. His sentences commonly have the 
attributes of clearness, unity, and strength ; 
and whenever he took time, and gave the 
necessary attention to his subject, both his 
manner o( treating it, and his style show the 
hand oi' a master. 

The following is a just character of Mr. 
Wesley as a preacher. " His attitude in the 
pulpit was graceful and easy ; his action calm 
and natural, yet pleasing and expressive ; his 
voice not loud, but clear and manly ; his style 
neat, simple, and perspicuous, and admirably 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 129 

adapted to the capacity of his hearers. His 
sermons were always short : he was seldom 
more than half an hour in delivering a dis- 
course, sometimes not so long. His subjects 
were judiciously chosen, instructive and in- 
teresting to the audience, and well adapted to 
gain attention and warm the heart." 

The labours of Mr. Wesley in the work of 
the ministry, for fifty years together, were 
without precedent. During this period, he 
travelled about four thousand five hundred 
miles every year, one year with another, 
chiefly on horseback. It had been impossible 
for him to accomplish this almost incredible 
degree of exertion without great punctuality 
and care in the management of his time. He 
had stated hours for every purpose ; and his 
only relaxation was a change of employment. 
His rules were like the laws of the Medes and 
Persians, absolute and irrevocable. He had a 
peculiar pleasure in reading and study, and 
every literary man knows how apt this passion 
is to make him encroach on the time which 
ought to be employed in other duties ; he had 
a high relish for conversation, especially with 
learned, pious and sensible men ; but whenever 
the hour came when he was to set out on a 
journey, he instantly quitted the company with 
which he might be engaged, without any appa- 
rent reluctance. For fifty-two years, or up- 
ward, he generally delivered two, frequently 
three or four sermons in a day. But calculat- 
ing only two sermons a day, and allowing, as 
9 



130 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

a writer of his life has done, fifty annually for 
extraordinary occasions, the whole number of 
sermons he preached during this period will 
be forty thousand five hundred and sixty. To 
these must be added an infinite number of 
exhortations to the societies after preaching, 
and in other occasional meetings at which he 
assisted. 

In social life Mr. Wesley was lively and 
conversational. He had the talent of making 
himself exceedingly agreeable in company : 
and having been much accustomed to society, 
the rules of good breeding were habitual to 
him. The abstraction of a scholar did not 
appear in his behaviour ; but he was attentive 
and polite. He spoke a good deal where he 
saw it was expected, which was almost always 
the case wherever he visited. Having seen 
much of the world in his travels, and read 
more, his mind was stored with an infinite 
number of anecdotes and observations ; and 
the manner in which he related them was no 
inconsiderable addition to the entertainment 
and instruction they afforded. It was impos- 
sible to be long in his company, either in public 
or private, without partaking of his placid 
cheerfulness, which was not abated by the in- 
firmities of age, or the approach of death ; but 
was as conspicuous at the age of four-score 
and seven, as at one and twenty. 

A remarkable feature in Mr. Wesley's cha- 
racter was his placability. Having an active, 
penetrating mind, his temper was naturally 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 131 

quick, and even tending to sharpness. The 
influence of religion and the constant habit of 
patient thinking, had in a great measure cor- 
rected this disposition. In general, he preserved 
an air of sedateness and tranquillity, which 
formed a striking contrast to the liveliness 
conspicuous in all his actions. Persecution, 
abuse, and injury, he bore not only without 
anger, but without any apparent emotion ; and 
what he said of himself was strictly true, that 
he had a great facility in forgiving injuries. 
Submission on the part of the offender present- 
ly disarmed his resentment, and he would treat 
him with great kindness and cordiality. No 
man was ever more free from jealousy or sus- 
picion than Mr. Wesley, or laid himself more 
open to the impositions of others. Though 
his confidence was often abused, and circum- 
stances sometimes took place which would 
have made almost any other man suspicious, 
yet he suspected no one ; nor was it easy to 
convince him that any one had intentionally 
deceived him ; and when facts had demonstrat- 
ed that this was actually the case, he would 
allow no more than that it was so in that 
single instance. If the person acknowledged 
his fault, he believed him sincere, and would 
trust him again. If we view this temper of 
his mind in connection with the circumstance 
that his most private papers lay open to the 
inspection of those constantly about him, it 
will give as strong a proof as can well be given 
of the integrity of his own mind ; and that he 



132 LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

was at the farthest distance from any intention 
to deceive or impose upon others. 

The temperance of Mr. Wesley was extra- 
ordinary. When at college he carried this so 
far, that his friends thought him blamable. 
But he never imposed upon others the same 
degree he exercised upon himself. He only 
said, I must be the best judge of what is hurtful 
or beneficial to me. 

A writer of Mr. Wesley's life, from whom 
some observations respecting his general cha- 
racter have already been taken, has farther ob- 
served. Perhaps the most charitable man in Eng- 
land was Mr. Wesley. His liberality to the 
poor knew no bounds but an empty pocket. 
He gave away not merely a certain portion of 
his income, but all that he had : his own wants 
provided for, he devoted all the rest to the 
necessities of others. He entered upon this 
good work at a very early period. We are 
told that, " when he had thirty pounds a year, 
he lived on twenty-eight, and gave away forty 
shillings. The next year, receiving sixty 
pounds, he still lived on twenty-eight, and gave 
away two and thirty. The third year he re- 
ceived ninety pounds, and gave away sixty- 
two. The fourth year he received one 
hundred and twenty pounds. Still he lived 
on twenty-eight, and gave to the poor ninety- 
two." In this ratio he proceeded during the 
rest of his life ; and in the course of fifty years, 
it has been supposed, he gave away between 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 183 

twenty and thirty thousand pounds ;* a great 
part of which most other men would have put 
at interest on good security. 

In the distribution of his money, Mr. Wes- 
ley was as disinterested as he was charitable. 
He had no regard to family connections, nor 
to the preachers who laboured with him, in 
preference to strangers. He knew that these 
had some friends ; and he thought the poor 
destitute stranger might have none, and there- 
fore had the first claim on his liberality. 
When a trifling legacy has been paid him, he 
has been known to dispose of it in some charit- 
able way before he slept, that it might not 
remain his own property for one night. He 
often declared that his own hands should be 
his executors ; and though he gained all he 
could by his publications, and saved all he 
could, not wasting so much as a sheet of 
paper ; yet by giving all he could, he was pre- 
served from laying up treasures upon earth. 
He had said in print, that, if he died worth 
more than ten pounds, independent of his 
books and the arrears of his fellowship which 
he then held, he would give the world leave to 
call him " a thief and a robber." This declara- 
tion, made in the integrity of his heart, and 
the height of his zeal, laid him under some in- 
conveniences afterward, from circumstances 
which he could not then foresee. Yet in this, 

* Probably more than one hundred thousand dollars, 
which he received chiefly from the constant and large 
sale of his writings, and the works he abridged. 



134 LIFE OF REV, JOHN WESLEY. 

as all his friends expected, he literally kept his 
word, as far as human foresight could reach. 
His chaise and horses, his clothes, and a few 
trifles of that kind, were all, his books excepted, 
that he left at his death. Whatever might be 
the value of his books, this altered not the 
case, as they were placed in the hands of 
trustees, and the profits arising from the sale 
of them were to be applied to the use and 
benefit of the conference for public purposes ; 
reserving only a few legacies and a rent 
charge of eighty-five pounds a year to be paid 
to his brother's widow, which was in fact a 
debt, in consideration for the copyright of his 
brother's hymns. 

To Dr. Whitehead's remarks may be added 
an anonymous sketch of Mr. Wesley's cha- 
racter, drawn up and printed soon after his 
decease. 

Now that Mr. John Wesley has finished his 
course upon earth, I may be allowed to esti- 
mate his character and the loss the world has 
sustained by his death. Upon a fair account 
it appears to be such as not only annihilates 
all the reproaches that have been cast upon 
him ; but such as does honour to mankind at 
the same time that it reproaches them. His 
natural and acquired abilities were both of the 
highest rank. His apprehension was lively 
and distinct ; his learning extensive. His 
judgment, though not infallible, was, in most 
cases, excellent. His mind was steadfast and 
resolved. His elocution was ready and clear, 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY, 135 

graceful and easy, accurate and unaffected. 
As a writer, his style, though unstudied, and 
flowing with natural ease, yet for accuracy 
and perspicuity was such as may vie with the 
best writers in the English language. Though 
his temper was naturally warm, his manners 
were gentle, simple, and uniform. Never were 
such happy talents better seconded by an un- 
relenting perseverance in those courses which 
his singular endowments, and his zealous love 
to the interests of mankind, marked out for 
him. His constitution was excellent, and never 
was a constitution less abused, less spared, or 
more excellently applied, in exact subservience 
to the faculties of his mind. His labours and 
studies were wonderful : the latter were not 
confined to theology only, but extended to 
every subject that tended either to the improve- 
ment or rational entertainment of the mind. 
If we consider his reading by itself, his writings 
and his other labours by themselves, any one 
of them will appear sufficient to have kept a 
person of ordinary application busy during 
his whole life. In short, the transactions of 
his life could never have been performed with- 
out the utmost exertions of two qualities which 
depended not upon his capacity, but on the 
uniform steadfastness of his resolution. These 
were inflexible temperance and unexampled 
economy of time. In these he was a pattern 
to the age he lived in ; and an example to 
what a surprising extent a man may render 
himself useful in his generation, by temperance 



1 36 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

and punctuality. His friends and followers 
have no reason to be ashamed of the name of 
Methodist, which he has entailed upon them ; 
as for an uninterrupted course of years, he 
has given the world an instance of the possi- 
bility of living without wasting a single hour ; 
and of the advantage of a regular distribution 
of time in discharging the important duties 
and purposes of life. Few ages have more 
needed such a public testimony to the value of 
time ; and perhaps none have had a more con- 
spicuous example of the perfection to which 
the improvement of it may be carried. 

As a minister, his labours were unparalleled, 
and such as nothing could have supported him 
under, but the warmest zeal for the doctrine 
he taught and for the eternal interests of man- 
kind. He studied to be gentle, yet vigilant and 
faithful toward all. He possessed himself in 
patience, and preserved himself unprovoked, 
nay, even unruffled, in the midst of persecution, 
reproach, and all manner of abuse, both of his 
person and name. But let his own works 
praise him. He now enjoys the fruits of his 
labours, and that praise which he sought, not 
of men, but of God. 

To finish the portrait. Examine the gene- 
ral tenour of his life, and it will be found self- 
evidently inconsistent with his being a slave 
to any one passion or pursuit that can fix a 
blemish on his character. Of what use were 
the accumulation of wealth to him who through 
his whole course never allowed himself to taste 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 137 

the repose of indolence, or even the common 
indulgence in the use of the necessaries of life ? 
Free from the partiality of any party, the 
sketcher of this excellent character, with a 
friendly tear, pays it as a just tribute to the 
memory of so great and good a man, who, 
when alive, was his friend. 

The following portrait of Mr. Wesley ap- 
peared soon after his death in a very respecta- 
ble publication : — 

" His indefatigable zeal in the discharge of 
his duty has been long witnessed by the world ; 
but as mankind are not always inclined to put 
a generous construction on the exertion of sin- 
gular talents, his motives were imputed to the 
love of popularity, ambition, and lucre. It now 
appears that he was actuated by a disinterested 
regard to the immortal interests of mankind. 
He laboured, and studied, and preached, and 
wrote, to propagate what he believed to be the 
Gospel of Christ. The intervals of these en- 
gagements were employed in governing and 
regulating the concerns of his numerous socie- 
ties ; assisting the necessities, solving the diffi- 
culties, and soothing the afflictions, of his 
hearers. He observed so rigid a temperance, 
and allowed himself so little repose, that he 
seemed to be above the infirmities of nature, 
and to act independent of the earthly tenement 
he occupied. The recital of the occurrences 
of every day of his life would be the greatest 
encomium. 



138 LIFE OF REV, JOHN WESLEY, 

"Had he loved wealth, he might have accu- 
mulated without bounds. Had he been fond 
of power, his influence would have been worth 
courting by any party. I do not say he was 
without ambition; he had that which Chris- 
tianity need not blush at, and which virtue is 
proud to confess. I do not mean that which is 
gratified by splendour and large possessions ; 
but that which commands the hearts and affec- 
tions, the homage and gratitude, of thousands. 
For him they felt sentiments of veneration, only 
inferior to those which they paid to Heaven : 
to him they looked as their father, their bene- 
factor, their guide to glory and immortality : 
for him they fell prostrate before God, with 
prayers and tears, to spare his doom, and pro- 
long his stay. Such a recompense as this is 
sufficient to repay the toils of the longest life. 
Short of this, greatness is contemptible impo- 
tence. Before this, lofty prelates bow, and 
princes hide their diminished heads. 

" His zeal was not a transient blaze, but a 
steady and constant flame. The ardour of his 
spirit was neither damped by difficulty, nor sub- 
dued by age. This w T as ascribed by himself 
to the power of Divine grace ; by the world, 
to enthusiasm. Be it what it will, it is what 
philosophers must envy, and infidels respect : 
it is that which gives energy to the soul, and 
without which there can be no greatness or 
heroism. 

" Why should we condemn that in religion 
which we applaud in every other profession 



LIFE OF REV, JOHN WESLEY. 139 

and pursuit? He had a vigour and elevation 
of mind, which nothing but the belief of the 
Divine favour and presence could inspire. This 
threw a lustre around his infirmities, changed 
his bed of sickness into a triumphal car, and 
made his exit resemble an apotheosis, rather 
than a dissolution. 

" He was qualified to excel in every branch 
of literature: he was well versed in the learned 
tongues, in metaphysics, in oratory, in logic, 
in criticism, and every requisite of a Christian 
minister. His style was nervous, clear, and 
manly ; his preaching was pathetic and per- 
suasive ; his journals artless and interesting ; 
and his compositions and compilations to pro- 
mote knowledge and piety, were almost innu- 
merable. 

" I do not say he was without faults, or above 
mistakes ; but they were lost in the multitude 
of his excellences and virtues. 

" To gain the admiration of an ignorant and 
superstitious age, requires only a little artifice 
and address; to stand the test of these times, 
when all pretensions to sanctity are stigmatized 
as hypocrisy, is a proof of genuine piety and 
real usefulness. His great object was to revive 
the obsolete doctrines and extinguished spirit 
of the Church of England ; and they who are 
its friends cannot be his enemies. Yet for this 
he was treated as a, fanatic and impostor, and 
exposed to every species of slander and perse- 
cution. Even bishops and dignitaries entered 
the lists against him ; but he never declined the 



140 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

combat, and generally proved victorious. He 
appealed to the Homilies, the Articles, and the 
Scriptures, as vouchers for his doctrine; and 
they who could not decide upon the merits of 
the controversy were witnesses of the effects 
of his labours ; and they judged of the tree by 
its fruit. It is true he did not succeed much 
in the higher walks of life ; but that impeached 
his cause no more than it did the first planters 
of the Gospel. However, if he had been capa- 
ble of assuming vanity on that score, he might 
rank among his friends some persons of the 
first distinction, who would have done honour 
to any party. After surviving almost all his 
adversaries, and acquiring respect among those 
who were the most distant from his principles, 
he lived to see the plant he had reared spread- 
ing its branches far and wide, and inviting not 
only these kingdoms, but the western world, to 
repose under its shade. No people, since the 
first ages of Christianity, could boast a founder 
of such extensive talents and endowments. If 
he had been a candidate for literary fame, he 
might have succeeded to his utmost wishes ; 
but he sought not the praise of man ; he regard- 
ed learning only as the instrument of usefulness. 
The great purpose of his life was doing good. 
For this he relinquished all honour and prefer- 
ment ; to this he dedicated all the powers of 
body and mind ; at all times and in all places, 
in season and out of season, by gentleness, by 
terror, by argument, by persuasion, by reason, 
by interest, by every motive and every induce- 



LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 141 

ment, he strove With unwearied assiduity to 
turn men from the error of their ways, and 
awaken them to virtue and religion. To the 
bed of sickness, or the couch of prosperity ; to 
the prison, the hospital, the house of mourning, 
or the house of feasting ; wherever there was 
a friend to serve, or a soul to save ; he readily 
repaired to administer assistance or advice, re- 
proof or consolation. He thought no office too 
humiliating, no condescension too low, no un- 
dertaking too arduous, to reclaim the meanest 
of God's offspring. The souls of all men were 
equally precious in his sight, and the value of 
an immortal creature beyond all estimation. 
He penetrated the abodes of wretchedness and 
ignorance to rescue the profligate from perdition. 
He communicated the light of life to those who 
6 sat in darkness and the shadow of death.' He 
changed the outcasts of society into useful 
members; civilized even savages; and filled 
those lips with prayer and praise that had been 
accustomed only to oaths and imprecations. 
But as the strongest religious impressions are 
apt to become languid, without discipline and 
practice, he divided his people into classes and 
bands, according to their attainments. He ap- 
pointed frequent meetings for prayer and con- 
versation, where they gave an account of their 
experience, their hopes and fears, their joys and 
troubles ; by which means they were united to 
each other and to their common profession. 
They became sentinels upon each other's con- 
duct, and securities for each other's character. 



142 LIFE OF REV. JOHN WESLEY. 

Thus the seeds he sowed sprang up and flou- 
rished, bearing the rich fruits of every grace 
and virtue. Thus he governed and preserved 
his numerous societies, watching their improve- 
ment with a paternal care, and encouraging 
them to be faithful to the end, 

" But I will not attempt to draw his full cha- 
racter, nor to estimate the extent of his labours 
and services. They will be best known when 
he shall finally deliver up his commission into 
the hands of his great Master." 

I shall conclude this part of the review with 
the following beautiful picture of our honoured 
father, drawn by his friend, Mr. Knox, whom 
I have already mentioned. I the more willingly 
present it to my readers, as it confirms some 
particulars which I have related, and happily 
expresses others which I have omitted : — 

"Very lately I had an opportunity, for some 
days together, of observing Mr. Wesley with 
attention. I endeavoured to consider him, not 
so much with the eye of a friend, as with the 
impartiality of a philosopher ; and I must de- 
clare, every hour I spent in his company afford- 
ed me fresh reasons for esteem and veneration* 
So fine an old man I never saw ! The happi- 
ness of his mind beamed forth in his counte- 
nance : every look showed how fully he enjoyed 

The gay remembrance of a life well spent. 

Wherever he went he diffused a portion of his 
own felicity. Easy and affable in his demean- 
our, he accommodated himself to every sort of 



LIFE OP REV. JOHN WESLEY. 143 

company; and showed how happily the most 
finished courtesy may be blended with the most 
perfect piety. In his conversation, we might 
be at a loss whether to admire most his fine 
classical taste, his extensive knowledge of men 
and things, or his overflowing goodness of heart. 
While the grave and serious were charmed 
with his wisdom, his sportive sallies of innocent 
mirth delighted even the young and thoughtless ; 
and both saw in his uninterrupted cheerfulness 
the excellence of true religion. No cynical 
remarks on the levity of youth embittered his 
discourses. No applausive retrospect to past 
times marked his present discontent. In him 
even old age appeared delightful, like an even- 
ing without a cloud ; and it was impossible to 
observe him without wishing fervently, ' May 
my latter end he like hisT 

"But I find myself unequal to the task of 
delineating such a character. What I have 
said may appear to some as panegyric; but 
there are numbers, and those of taste and dis- 
cernment too, who can bear witness to the 
truth, though by no means to the perfectness, 
of the sketch I have attempted. With such I 
have been frequently in his company ; and every 
one of them, I am persuaded, would subscribe 
to all I have said. For my own part, I never 
was so happy as while with him, and scarcely 
ever felt more poignant regret than at parting 
from him ; for well I knew, 

* I ne'er should look upon his like again V " 
THE END. 




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Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
7* s Treatment Date: May 2006 

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